Metal Heart
by quietemergency
Summary: She had been running her whole life to find her family, while he spent his entire life demanding to create his own. How strange that they should get exactly what they wanted, even when they never wanted each other. Inspired by "The Originals" episode.
1. Chapter 1

AN: I don't own the characters, I just play with them. Inspired by "The Originals" episode this week, so not a lot of Elena, Delena, or Stelena happening, which can only be good for everybody. This is my own interpretation of what The Originals will be like.

* * *

"Look, I know this is a lot to take. But you've really got to get a grip on the reality of the situation here, wolf."

I was going to be sick. I was sure of it. My head was still throbbing from passing out in the woods earlier and it was taking everything I had to keep myself steady. We were underground somewhere and the only light came from a few flickering torches. I kept seeing the flames licking up into shadows all around me and I was struck again by how surreal all of this was.

"Hey!"

The witch known as Sophie snapped her fingers in my face, breaking me out of my reverie. If I was less disoriented, her brashness wouldn't have gone so unnoticed. However, given the present circumstances, I couldn't wrap my brain around emotions. Least of all anger.

She kept staring at me, waiting for me to say something. Her eyes flickered back and forth between mine for a few seconds before she sighed and gestured behind me. Two other girls came forward and I could only assume that they, too, were witches. I was completely outnumbered and I could feel the familiar lurch of panic in my bones.

_Run, Hayley. Get the hell out of here._

"Get her cleaned up. He should be here soon." Sophie despondently motioned for them and I felt the girls grab either one of my arms and gently guide me away into another room. I probably should have done something at that point. Run, flail, protest, anything. But, I let them take me wherever they thought I should go because despite the aching need in my body to run like hell, I was too tired this time. As we walked into a private chamber where the witches clothed me in soft, draping fabrics and ornate jewelry, I could openly admit it to myself. I was completely worn out.

And worst of all, I was curious.

* * *

I could hear him arguing with Sophie and Elijah from the main chamber, his anger echoing through the halls and into my head. Hearing his voice immediately brought me back to my reflexes and all the calm I felt before was now long gone. I began wringing my hands together in my lap as we waited, trying like hell to keep them from shaking like leaves on a tree branch.

I felt a reassuring hand on top of mine and looked up to see Kai, a pretty dark-skinned witch with curly hair, smile back at me with warmth in her eyes. I tried to mimic her gesture, but I could tell she wasn't fooled by my facade.

"Don't be afraid, Hayley. What you have growing inside of you is the first-born kin to the original hybrid. Do you have any idea how powerful that is?"

I shook my head at her slowly. So far as I could tell, it meant that I was pregnant from a one-night stand with a guy that probably was born without a beating heart, let alone a knack for humanity. The only indication that he wasn't completely made of stone and arrogance was his unbridled infatuation with Caroline Forbes. I didn't make it a habit to delve into matters that didn't involve some type of an end-game for me, so I never ventured to find out the details. But from the looks of things, Caroline still hadn't given up on her quest to be with Tyler.

I tried to think back on my little crush on Tyler. Is that what it was? Yes, I reminded myself. It had to be. There was a time when I may have thought differently. We were up in those mountains together and he would turn a hundred times a day, sobbing and in agony of the weight of his bones crushing one by one, over and over again, and I would hold onto him afterward, feeling his body shaking. He was so fragile and it soon became too difficult to decipher if my feelings were of the friendly kind or the loving kind. In the end, I decided to split and run anyway so I guess it didn't matter. It wasn't in me to wait around and Tyler Lockwood, as gorgeous as he was, definitely wasn't worth getting all angsty over.

"It means that your...union with Klaus has brought upon a loophole in nature. You carry his child inside you and that certainly defies the very rules we live by. Although vampires have never been known to procreate, werewolves certainly can. Don't you see?" She grasped both of my hands and turned her whole body toward me excitedly. "Things like this don't just happen, Hayley. This was meant to be."

I stared at her wide-eyed for a while before finally finding my voice. "How do you know that?" I could barely recognize the meek question as my own, my words barely escaping in whimpering breaths. Klaus' yells were getting louder out in the hallway.

"Because something like this must have been written in the stars long ago. Don't give up faith. And remember, always be strong for the sake of your child. You're going to be a mother," she placed her hand upon my cheek and gave me a teary smile. "There is no greater gift."

Before I could respond to her eerie kindness, the other witch abruptly stood up. "It's time, Kai," she announced with a look of indignation in her narrowed eyes. I recognized her affront as something from my own playbook. She didn't trust me.

_That makes two of us, bitch._

Kai ushered me forward and soon we were heading right to the source of all the yelling and anger. My feet worked of their own accord and I couldn't help them halting in place down the dimly lit passageway.

"I can't do this," I breathed and closed my eyes, willing all of this madness to go away. "I haven't even taken a pregnancy test yet. How do I know Sophie's telling the truth?"

She took my hands in hers and did that comforting thing with her smile again that made my heart stop hammering so much in my chest. I didn't know if it was some kind of witch ju-ju or what, but at that moment, I yearned the calm.

"You don't want to believe it, I get that," she said lowly. "It's a lot to process for anyone, let alone somebody who just found out a couple of hours ago. But if you don't believe us, than at least trust your own body. Don't you feel it?"

"I don't feel anything," I scoffed.

I was tired, sure. Frustrated? Yes. But pregnant? There was no way I could have missed that. Our unfortunate tryst had only been a couple of weeks ago and I felt no different now than I did before. I could now deduce my recent lackluster behavior on my own exhaustion and confusion of the entire scenario. These witches were insane. That's all there was to it and I had to find a way out of here quick. I had already been sidetracked far too long with these vampire and witch games and I didn't intend to prolong the search to find my parents again. I had waited long enough.

Kai took our joined hands and placed them over my flat stomach, resting hers on top of mine. She gazed into my wide eyes and said, "Don't think, Hayley. Just feel. Close your eyes and _feel_."

I hesitated for a moment before closing my eyes. All I could feel beneath my fingertips was the soft fabric of the shirt I now wore, covering the smooth planes of my stomach. The possibility of a baby bump made me shudder, but it was beyond the realm of my own comprehension. It was all a sham.

Just when I was about to give up on this ridiculous charade, I felt it, steady and reverberating as my own.

A heartbeat.

I stilled completely, breathing deeply, trying to configure the source. Was I just hearing my own beating heart? But then there it came again. So resounding and yet softer, more gentle than my pulse.

My eyes flew open and stared into Kai's. She grinned, knowingly and it was all I could do from collapsing into her arms.

"How...I don't understand..." I stammered and paced, running a shaky hand through my hair while the other still clutched my stomach.

"Well, if you don't know how then I'm worried as to how you'll handle the rest of this," she quipped.

I turned around to face her and was almost angered by her amused smile. She must have been more intuitive than I realized, because she changed her expression again to softness and warmth.

"Look, now you know, okay? So what are you going to do about it? This is your child, Hayley! It's your job now to protect him or her from any danger. Deep down, you know that."

I looked at her and knew she was right. This whole thing was a complete and total nightmare, from my one-night stand to this surprise pregnancy. Actually, who was I kidding? My entire life had been a complete nightmare. For as long as I could remember, I had been running as fast as I possibly could. Sometimes it felt like I was chasing down answers, but most of the time, I was escaping something or someone. I never had parents to call my own, never had any friends, or even a real home. I imagined a similar life for my unborn child and my defenses were immediately ignited, right from my very core.

_You will never have to run. You will be safe, always._

I placed my other hand on top of my midsection and closed my eyes. I didn't ask for any of this, but I knew what I had to do.

I looked up at Kai and nodded and we both walked hand in hand toward the main chamber.

I couldn't help the thudding of my heart as his voice became clearer. He was bemused and reaching his limit on patience, I could already tell. The hairs on the back of my neck were on end but I willed myself to be strong. For once, this wasn't about me. It was about the child. My child.

_Our child._

A shudder ran down my spine when I finally saw him, his back turned to me. His muscles were taut and on edge. Nothing good ever comes from his patience being tested and I vowed to bring a calming presence to him somehow. If Kai could do it from just a look, then I could try to as well.

"I assure you love, there is not a thing on this earth that will matter enough for me to waste even thirty more seconds of my time," he spit at Sophie before turning to his brother. "Elijah, what kind of madness is this?"

"Klaus," I said softly.

He turned to me and his hardened expression fell immediately. I could see the look of bewilderment in his eyes as he trailed his gaze over me up and down.

"You need to listen to them," I insisted, in that same low voice, hoping he would somehow catch the deeper meaning behind my words.

His face broke out into a grin, then a smile, and soon he was cackling in laughter. I was struck again by how incredibly beautiful he truly was when he smiled. Though, I had never seen a genuine expression of pure happiness from him, I was always enraptured by his apparent joy. How could someone so heartless express such a divine emotion? How could he make my heart flutter with his laughter even when I knew he didn't have one? Even now when his amusement was at my expense, he was the most beautiful smiling thing I had ever seen.

He spun around wildly, still laughing. "You're all out of your minds," he turned back to me, his arm gesturing in my direction, eyes following condescendingly. "If you think some liquor-fueled one-night stand, no offense sweetheart, means a thing to me."

His words stung like fire and I dropped my gaze to the floor to hide whatever pain I must have felt at that moment. I had no right to be offended, really. I knew it just as well as he did that our meaningless fling was a drunken mistake that would probably have never happened again. I had no intention of sticking around the morning after anyway and if these witches hadn't tracked me down and held me captive, I would probably be planning my next escape at this very moment.

Even still, the pang in my chest wouldn't die down. I was so used to rejection that I had trained myself not to expect anything from anyone. People who did that almost always got their hearts broken and if I had taught myself anything, it was how to appear heartless to my enemies. But in this situation, heartlessness didn't seem like much of a weapon. In fact, it seemed counteractive to what needed to be done. We weren't dealing with our own demons anymore and I knew I had to do everything in my power to keep those demons from haunting our child.

_Our child._

Would that thought ever stop me from shuddering?

When I looked up, I could see a flicker of hesitation in his face before he rolled his eyes once more at the sound of Sophie's persistent voice and turned his back on me once more.

"Marcel may be able to keep us from practicing real magic in this town, but as keepers of the balance, we still know when nature has cooked up something new," she said hauntingly. "For example, I have a special gift of sensing when a girl is pregnant."

Silence fell around us as the weight of her words struck him. He shifted unsteadily from one foot to the next.

"What?" There was no mistaking the fear in his shaking voice.

"I know it's impossible," I started as he spun around toward me again, his sea green eyes flaming, reminding me of an impending storm on the ocean.

"What are you saying."

It wasn't a question. It was an accusation and his grave tone and penetrating stare rooted me in place, making it impossible to look away from him no matter how hard I wanted to. Thankfully, Elijah's tranquil nature saved me from the flames that his brother's gaze willed to set upon me.

"Niklaus, the girl is carrying your child," Elijah said with a slight smile.

Klaus expression changed from anger at me to hope at his brother's voice to fear of the situation and then unmistakably, back to anger again. I could see the transformation in his face, his crystal green eyes, his full, pouting lips. I could see it all and the pang in my chest intensified with each disappointment that crossed his features. He didn't want this. He didn't want me. But, I had to show him somehow.

"No," he said determinedly. "It's impossible. Vampires cannot procreate!"

"But werewolves can," Sophie pointed out. "Magic made you a vampire, but you were born a werewolf. You're the original hybrid, the first of your kind. And this pregnancy is one of nature's loopholes."

There was a second of silence before Klaus abruptly spun around, snarling with a finger pointed in my direction.

"You've been with someone else, admit it!" He stalked toward me and I could taste the venom in his intentions as I wrapped both my arms around my stomach protectively. Elijah quickly intervened, holding his volatile brother away from me.

Suddenly, I was sick of being the one to blame. It wasn't my fault that we both made a drunken mistake and I certainly wasn't going to apologize for something I had no intention of creating in the first place.

"Hey, I've been held captive in a freaking alligator bayou because they think that I'm carrying some kind of magical, miracle baby. Don't you think I would've fessed up if it wasn't yours?" I told him evenly with narrowed eyes.

Sophie interrupted our heated stare-off once again. "My sister gave her life to perform the spell she needed to confirm this pregnancy. Because of Jane Ann's sacrifice, the lives of this girl and her baby are now controlled by us. If you don't help us take down Marcel, so help me, Hayley won't live long enough to see her first maternity dress," she said menacingly in Klaus' face.

"Wait, what?" There was no way I heard her correctly. She was going to kill me and my baby if she didn't get Klaus' help? My head started spinning again and I clutched at my midsection as if it would somehow protect the baby.

_What the hell have I gotten myself into?_

"Enough," Elijah's voice was quickly becoming my savior in all of this. "If you want Marcel dead, he's dead. I'll do it myself."

"No, we can't," Sophie warned. "We have a clear plan that we need to follow and there are rules."

Klaus had his back turned to us, but I could visibly see him tense at her unfortunate use of words. Another eerie silence came over the chamber walls and I could hear my own unsteady breathing coming out in silent gasps. He cocked his head to the side and slowly turned around, a look of pure masochism on his face. His lip snarled, eyes menacing, and the undeniable air of rage radiating off of him in waves all around us.

"How dare you command me?" His voice was etched with gravel, so low, so precise. "Threaten me! With what you wrongfully perceive to be my weaknesses," he screamed before turning to Elijah and growling, "I won't hear anymore lies," as he attempted to walk past him toward me and out of the chamber.

"Niklaus," Elijah said once more, halting his brother in his tracks. He was suddenly right in front of me, only inches apart and my breathing became shallow. "Listen."

Klaus eyes reached mine and I tried my best to follow. He let his gaze slowly fall to where my fingers were spread across my stomach. Several moments passed as he waited and then a look of wonder filled his face.

_Thump, thump, thump._

For a moment, it was as though no one else were in the room except the three of us. Him, me, and our baby's beating heart. I couldn't contain the feeling of pure warmth inside my veins, could barely stop my eyes from collecting water, or the unbridled possessiveness I felt over both of them. Him and my child.

I watched his brows furrow in confusion and could almost hear the questioning thoughts in his head. _How could this be? I didn't ask for this. There must be some mistake. How can I hear a heartbeat when this isn't possible?_

I wanted to reach out to him, to show him that despite our doubts, this was real. I wanted him to know that this heartbeat mimicked mine and his. He looked so pained, so incredibly unprepared for this, just like I was. I wanted to reach out to him, but I didn't.

His eyes finally trailed up to mine and I held him there, trying with every ounce of power within me to help him understand, help him accept what was right in front of us. I knew he could see my own fear reflected back at him, my own misguidance, my past mistakes, my initial shock of the situation, but I hoped that he would be able to see some kind of bravery, too. I tried to convey the dedication and loyalty I felt for our child. I wanted him to see the proof of my parenting extinct, in hopes that it might spark his own somehow. We stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever, before he finally broke his gaze and turned around to Sophie.

"Kill her and the baby. What do I care?"

And then he was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: This chapter assumes that Klaus and Elijah have already talked about staying in New Orleans. I also played around with some POV changes. Enjoy and thanks for the reviews.

* * *

"_Kill her and the baby. What do I care?"_

Blood was pounding in my ears as his words echoed over and over again. All I could see was the look of pure hatred on his face as he walked past me, without a second glance. Like I had never been there at all.

"This ordeal with Marcel will be handled, I assure you," Elijah said calmly to a still fuming Sophie. "However, I need you to ensure her safety and well-being for the remainder of her pregnancy. No harm will come to her or the baby. Is that understood?"

He spoke gravely and despite his forgiving nature, I could detect a warning if there ever was one.

"And how can I trust you after that debacle? Klaus is no less of a tyrant than Marcel!" Sophie narrowed her eyes, sizing Elijah up.

"I will talk to my brother and he will listen," Elijah explained with reassurance. I had no idea how he could be so sure of anything Klaus would do. He was many things, but unpredictable was probably at the top of the list. "You leave Klaus to me. But, I expect you to hold up your end of the deal as well."

Sophie glanced behind Elijah at me and it was the first time since Klaus and I looked at each other that anyone else had even acknowledged my presence. I was beginning to feel as if I were just another stone cast inside the walls of this chamber, just observing these transgressions unfold in front of me with absolutely no power to leave.

The witch seemed to consider her options for a few moments before sighing and putting her right hand out in front of Elijah. "Deal," she said, looking him squarely in the eyes. He took her right hand in his left and they shook on it. "Deal."

* * *

As Kai led me back to what I assumed would be my prison cell, the clogged synapses in my brain seemed to finally be firing away at rapid speed again. Some would call my instincts fight or flight, but I had only ever known it to be the way my mind always worked. My reflexes were strong and when I made up my mind to flee, I wouldn't let anything stop me.

I chanced a sideways glance over at Kai under my lashes, and suddenly something clicked.

_"Marcel may be able to keep us from practicing real magic in this town, but as keepers of the balance, we still know when nature has cooked up something new," she said hauntingly. _

Kai was still looking ahead when I clutched my stomach and cried out in agony, stopping dead in my tracks with my back to her. No magic meant we played by my rules now.

"Hayley!" She rushed over to me, her hands on my shoulders soft and reassuring.

I was already feeling really sorry about what I was about to do when I coiled up my right fist and swiftly swung my arm around to punch her square in the face. Her eyes rolled up and she staggered for a moment before I caught her in my arms. I packed a pretty mean right hook and could tell from the looks of her that she would be out like a light for quite a while.

"I really didn't want to do that," I huffed as I dragged her to a narrow side corridor and laid her down. I leaned down to examine the damage I did to her pretty face and was relieved to find she wasn't bleeding. Even still, her left cheekbone was already swelling up and it wouldn't be long before a monstrous purple bruise would mar her features. I sighed and stood up. "I really am sorry," I told her before sprinting off to find some kind of an escape route.

I ran back the way I came because something told me that Klaus didn't have to walk too far in underground to meet with Sophie. If Elijah led him astray for too long, I was almost certain that meeting wouldn't have taken place. The passageway seemed to be deserted, but I still kept my ears perked to any type of movement.

My senses were heightened and I could feel the wolf guiding me as I reached the lit chamber where I had been proclaimed to die not so long ago. Just as I suspected, there were stairs leading up just across the tunnel. The whirlwind events from last night must have really impacted my usual thinking if I missed that.

I leaned back against the side wall and crouched down to the floor, trying my best to gaze inside the chamber. I didn't see anything from my angle but I didn't chance it. That gumbo-cooking bitch might still be inside doing whatever hocus pocus witches do underground late at night. I shivered at the thought, but remembered that she wasn't allowed to practice magic here or anywhere within New Orleans for that matter.

Another shiver ran down my spine when I remembered again that her sister died for doing a spell to confirm my pregnancy.

_She died because of me._

I chased those thoughts away and kept still for a while longer. When I didn't hear a sound I turned my whole head to get a full view of the room. Thankfully, I saw nothing aside from the flickering shadows from the lit torches. Without a moment's hesitation, I quickly ran up the stairs, staying careful to stay to the side near the shadows.

I crawled to the top and gazed up, seeing the vacant cemetery my car broke down in front of earlier.

"Seriously? A cemetery," I muttered as I stood up and turned in a few circles, making sure the coast was clear. "How unbelievably cliché."

As I trailed back toward the edges of where the cemetery met the forest, an image of figures stalking toward me in the fog came rushing back to me. I contained a squeal and sprinted to where I was hoping my car would still be.

I found it with the door still open and the keys in the ignition. I glanced around and inside the car before getting in, closing the door and turning the key. Nothing. I tried again. Still nothing.

I could vaguely remember my map going up in flames and the engine steaming, but it was all a blur. I tried again and again with the key, frantically turning, until finally the purr of the engine relieved my worries. I sighed loudly and chuckled before saying a silent prayer to the god of sports cars. I quickly turned the car around, heading back onto the main road.

I wasn't sure what part of the past 24 hours was real and what wasn't, but I didn't waste another second thinking about it. I was well on my way to getting the hell out of here. New Orleans may have been for some people, but I sure as hell wasn't one of them. I turned left onto an interstate road I recognized taking before and eased back in my seat as the most pleasurable feeling of relief washed over me. I smiled widely.

_On the road again_.

* * *

"What do you mean she's gone?" Elijah asked incredulously. "I left her here in your care just last night under our agreement. Has something changed that I should be aware of?" He asked stalking slowly toward Sophie, his eyes disbelieving and verging on anger.

The witch backed away, but her eyes matched his with determination.

"I told you, I had no part in this! She knocked out one of my girls and ran off. You think _I _was the one who gave the okay for that?"

"Now, now, children," Klaus said with a joyful grin. "Let's not get carried away with accusations, shall we? The werewolf whore was clearly bluffing and decided to run before her lies were brought to the surface. I say a congratulations is in order," he said grabbing Elijah by the shoulders. "What do you say dear brother?"

"Niklaus, please, your attempt at humor is anything but...humorous," Elijah said as he shrugged him off. "Please do try to remember that _werewolf whore_ is, in fact, carrying your prodigal child.

Klaus gazed at his brother defiantly, his lips pursed together and fists clenching.

"We don't have time to play the lying game here," Sophie interrupted, exasperated at the whole situation. "You can't deny what you heard last night, Klaus. You know that baby is yours."

He turned to her with his jaw clenched, casting his gaze down as she continued.

"And in case you had any doubt, which my sister feared you would, she cast a binding spell from Hayley's own hair," Sophie said with resignation, a slight smile etching her lips. "Granted, she had to die in order for you to believe that you are the father to your own child," Klaus' eyes blazed up at hers again. "But the spell proved it. That child is a procreation that defies the natural balance. The first ever pure-born hybrid baby."

Elijah moved over to stand by Klaus and patted him on the shoulder. The two brothers looked at each other and a silent agreement passed between them. Klaus turned back to Sophie, the anger in his features kept at bay.

"So, how do you suppose we find her?" He said with a slight sneer. "She is exceedingly gifted at escaping, I will give her that," he said thoughtfully.

"My sister performed a tracking spell as well, but it only reaches the limits of this city. If she hit the roads last night, then she's probably a few towns over by now," Sophie said sighing heavily and sitting down on top of an old trunk, resting her elbows on her knees. She groaned and covered her face with her hands.

"We'll have to find her," Elijah said. "Klaus and I have tracked down worse in the past, have we not brother?" He smiled at Klaus who grinned back knowingly.

"There's something else," Sophie's mumbled reply caused both vampires to look at her. She dragged her hands down her face slowly and said, "There's a full moon coming in two days." She pointed up at the chamber ceiling with her index finger.

Silence passed over the room before Elijah asked, "And?"

Sophie sighed again before crossing her arms over her body.

"And in order for Hayley to have the baby safely, that is to say, a hybrid baby safely, Jane Ann had to ensure that Hayley would be unable to turn during the full moons," she said softly. "That very logic goes against the basic laws of werewolves, which ensures that the wolf inside must be released."

"And if it doesn't?" Elijah asked, tilting his chin up and shifting his feet.

"She will experience agony of the worst kind. Even worse than the bone-crushing pain she goes through with every turn," Sophie warned. "If that happens, neither she or the baby will be safe from her own body's malfunctions. There is an herbal remedy that we witches have concocted to help her through the full moons. It lessens the pain significantly and allows the duration of her pregnancy to be safely monitored. But, if we don't find her soon, there's nothing I or anyone else can do to save her."

No one spoke for several moments until Klaus' eyes blazed toward Sophie, his anger mounting tenfold as the seconds passed. "You and your devil sister did this!" He screamed in her face, rabid as a dog. "Because of your selfishness, my child's life is at risk! I should kill you right now," he said lowly, just as Elijah pulled him back.

"Killing her will get you nowhere," he explained calmly. "The best we can do now for the sake of the child is to find Hayley before the full moon does."

"And when I find her, I will kill her myself for running," Klaus fumed.

"Well, that pretty much negates everything then, doesn't it?" Elijah smiled. The muscles in Klaus' shoulders relaxed slightly until he finally eased completely.

"It is your anger, dear brother, that drove her away in the first place," he pointed out. "I do believe her life was threatened, not once, but twice last night. Am I the only one who doesn't find her escape very alarming?" He quipped with a smile before buttoning up his blazer and turning to leave the chamber.

Klaus stood still for a few seconds before his brother called to him. "Come Niklaus."

He hesitated before asking stubbornly, "And what of this plan to infiltrate Marcel's private army? What of that?" He yelled.

"Everything has it's time," Elijah said from the bottom of the stairwell. "It is now time to save the mother of your child from her imminent death in two days."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Every review, follow, and favorite is very much appreciated. Thank you again for the support. If you're wondering where this story is headed, then I must ask you to bear with me. It will be a slow burn, I promise.

* * *

The summer sun was slowly setting on the horizon, casting a pinkish-golden hue all around me. Louisiana was starting to get a rosy disposition in this light, I thought to myself smiling.

I had been driving down the interstate for a good seven hours at this point, making sure to only stop when nature called and demanded I take a piss. Other than that, I made all necessary preparations at a convenience store on the outskirts of New Orleans shortly after I broke free from the witches' layer. A gallon of water, some snacks, and an LSU hat. That would be more than enough to get me through the night. I made sure to keep myself hidden under the baseball cap and my oversized sunglasses, knowing I had a band of hybrids, witches, and vampires chasing after me by now. Discretion was of the utmost importance.

I was doing pretty good on time, but I knew I had to figure out a safe, secluded area to turn when the next full moon struck. According to my phone, it was Wednesday and by Friday night, the wolf would take its form whether I was prepared or not.

_You can do this, Hayley. Just keep going._

I sat up straighter and gripped the wheel, determined to stay positive. Despite my best efforts, I was feeling the opposite of how I usually felt right before a full moon. At this point, I would normally be feeling stronger, my senses heightened, almost as though the wolf was already taking shape, but through my human form. I should have been more agile, on edge, and even my arousal level would skyrocket. A complete domination of animal instincts.

But this time, I could feel myself almost drowning in my own skin. Something was off and I wasn't sure what it was but I was suspecting this pregnancy wasn't boding well with my system. What do girls usually do in situations like this? Call their friends? I had no idea, but that was definitely one department in which I was lacking any contacts.

With my eyes still on the road, I shuffled around the passenger seat for my phone. I found it lodged in my purse and with my face scrunched in concentration, I finally managed to pull it free. I scrolled through the few numbers I had before my eyes fell to one in particular. In all honesty, I was probably looking for that one the whole time anyway.

"Please don't let this bite me in the ass later," I prayed as I hit dial and waited. A few rings and then one of the voices I hated most in the world answered.

"Well, well, well," she said entertained. "If it isn't the little wolf girl. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hello to you too, Katherine," I said through gritted teeth. "Glad to see you haven't forgotten me so quickly."

"Oh please," she mused. "As if I could ever forget the orphan werewolf who's carrying the original hybrid's bun in her oven. I don't think so."

My face flushed and I kept opening my mouth to speak but nothing would come out. Her ability to pick up gossip was beyond eerie, but it was probably what had kept her alive all these years. Even still, I hadn't prepared for her knowing and struggled to maintain my composure. Showing your weakness around Katherine Pearce was a sure-fire suicide.

"What's wrong, Hayley? Wolf got your tongue?"

I could practically hear the grin in her voice and I rolled my eyes at her condescension. I knew asking for her help wasn't going to be easy, but for the sake of the baby, I knew I needed some answers. Since I didn't have an encyclopedia Britannica about mythical creatures at my disposal at the moment, Katherine's history would have to suffice. Considering how much she'd gotten around in her lifetime, I was willing to bet she knew a thing or two about supernatural pregnancies.

"As much as I would love to sit and listen to you be an unbearable bitch, I called for a reason." I sighed before adding, "I need some answers and I need you to help me get them. Discreetly."

I heard her chuckle softly and the clink of glass in the background, probably as she poured herself some scotch. Did all vampires share an alcoholic gene or something, I wondered with my face scrunched in confusion.

"And why would I waste my time helping you?"

"Because now that Jane Ann is dead and I've long since escaped, I would suspect your offer to distract Klaus from hunting you down is pretty much off the table," I said evenly. "If you don't want me to tip him off about where you've been hiding all this time, then I suggest you hear me out. Otherwise, I have no problem sending him an anonymous message."

She was silent for a few seconds and I knew she must have been mulling it over. My threats were practically empty and I was hoping against hope that she would somehow fall for it. Her fear of Klaus had always caused her to be fidgety, but I didn't know if it would work this time.

"Fine," she finally answered and I gave an inward sigh of relief. "What is it that you _need_ to know?"

"What can you tell me about werewolf pregnancies?"

"Other than the fact that they happen all the time," she sounded almost bored. "I'm not sure there's anything more compelling to tell. Really, Hayley. That's what you wanted to know about? Are you really telling me you've never known a pregnant werewolf?"

I pursed my lips and considered my next words. "That's neither here nor there. I called for facts, Katherine, not opinions. Are werewolves able to turn every moon without endangering the child?"

She sighed heavily. "Sure, I've never known it to be a problem. Although, I can't say for sure what a hybrid pregnancy entails. That baby's half vampire, whether you like it or not."

"So what does that mean?"

"I'm not sure but I could probably find out. Where are you right now?"

I scoffed out loud as I pulled over into a seemingly abandoned motel. The lights were flicking on the sign as the moon was just coming out. I gazed at it and felt my bones throbbing uncomfortably, an overwhelming feeling of nausea taking over. I shut my eyes tightly and hunched over my seat as I parked the car. I needed to keep it together, especially around Katherine.

"Yeah, as if I have any intention of telling you where to find me," I muttered into the phone.

"Look, I get that you don't trust me and I can't say that I blame you," she said despondently. "But you already sound like shit and if you really want my help, you're going to have to tell me where you are. I'm willing to offer my advice but we need to be on an even playing field. You know where I've been, now I need to know where you are."

I considered her offer and knew I was screwed either way. I could try and do this blindly and hope for the best or I could trust Katherine Pearce. Either way, I was having to pick the lesser of two very big evils.

"King's Motel. Just outside of Jefferson," I said finally. Weariness was starting take over and I could feel my vision doubling. I must have been driving a lot longer than I realized.

"See you there," she clipped before hanging up.

I threw my phone in my bag and took a long, hauling breath, trying desperately to get myself together. I turned the car off, grabbed what little stuff I had, and went to the front desk to check in.

* * *

The countryside passed him swiftly as they drove down the interstate and he was struck again by how riveting it truly was. He had spent thousands of years experiencing the best that the world had to offer, from exquisite cuisine to prolific works of art. He had seen it all and yet nothing could compare to the vastness of Louisiana's lush plains. He rolled down the window and stuck his fingers out to ride against the wind. The feeling was endless. It was freedom. It was immortality.

"You always did love the country air," Elijah commented softly from the driver's seat, watching his younger brother relax against the evening breeze.

Klaus was silent for a few seconds before answering quietly, "I did. I still do."

Elijah glanced over at his brother, briefly taking his eyes off the road. "This is a new beginning, Niklaus," he said. "This place, the girl, this pregnancy...all of this is what you've always been searching for. It's what we have all been searching for."

Klaus closed his eyes, letting his older brother's words play out in his head. The truth in Elijah's observations pricked at his inner conscience like thorns from a rose bush. He couldn't escape the uncomfortableness of the feeling and yet, he was beginning to get used to it. The stinging prick was now slowly becoming a dull ache.

He turned toward Elijah and met his gaze, letting him know silently that his words had been heard. He couldn't make his mind up about what to say just yet. He didn't even know if there was anything he could say to validate the situation anymore than it already was. He inwardly grimaced at the lack of control, the lack of power that he had over this pregnancy, over Hayley, over Marcel and the town that should have been his. It was all too much.

"We've crossed about four towns by now," Klaus finally said, deciding he had to change the subject. "What's the plan, Elijah? Just drive through every passing city outside of New Orleans? As much as I trust your judgment, brother, I'm not so sure we have that much time." He indicated toward the approaching moon, nearly full and seemingly threatening.

"You're right. We need to be quick about this," Elijah muttered, his eyes focused on the road but his mind clearly somewhere else.

Just as the vampire was about to pull over to reassess their investigation, Elijah's phone rang. He grabbed it out of the breast pocket of his blazer and checked the caller ID. He glanced over at Klaus, who had been watching him with rapt attention. The phone rang again and he hesitated before answering.

"Katerina," he breathed and watched as his younger brother's face morphed into one of a hunter stalking its prey. He motioned for Klaus to calm down, which only made his brother's eyes threaten murder even more. "Are you okay?" Klaus rolled his eyes, still fuming.

"Yes, I'm fine. I miss you," she said softly, her voice dripping with emotion. This was the side of Katherine Pierce that nobody else saw but Elijah and it was this side of her that made him fall in love so deeply in the first place. "I don't know how I'm going to get through the rest of my life not seeing you."

Elijah closed his eyes in an effort to regain his composure. He knew Klaus would only entertain a phone call from Katherine for only so long. "I know," he finally said. "I know. It's not a good time right now..."

"It's okay, that's not why I called," she cut him off. "Actually, I might have some information about where to Hayley."

* * *

I tossed and turned on the cheap, springy mattress of the King's Motel room. The sheets were itchy and the air conditioning unit was broken, making my body slick with sweat as I moved around uncomfortably, my legs tangling with the sheets and trapping me every few seconds. On top of sweating from the heat, I was also getting flashes of cold sweats that would wreck my body, making me shiver and convulse violently until the episodes were over.

I had no idea what to do. I could barely keep down water, let alone food, and I was losing focus quickly. I could barely remember the events of the day and anything that stuck out in my memory felt like a hundred years ago.

Suddenly, I felt my stomach heave and groaned out loud at the pain. I had nothing left to throw up and yet, this nausea was relentless. My eyes filled with tears and I was so relieved that nobody was around to see me this helpless.

Another cold sweat.

More convulsing.

My bones burned in my skin.

* * *

"This is the one," Klaus said as they neared room 855 of the King's Motel. After a bit of glamoring at the front desk, they were able to get Hayley's whereabouts pretty easily. "Should we knock?" He said humorously at his brother, a smile etching his face.

Elijah just gave him a look before Klaus swiftly punched the card slot of the door, effectively breaking it and allowing them inside. The room was pitch black and muggy from the summer weather.

"Hayley?" Elijah called out into the darkness before Klaus flipped on the light switch.

The brothers took in the tangled sheets, the empty bed, the scattered clothing on the floor, but there was no sign of Hayley. Klaus strode across the tiny motel room and into the bathroom, flipping on the switch there as well. What he saw nearly made his dead heart skip a beat.

She was sprawled out in the bathtub, the color completely drained from her face, her lips a greyish blue and her brown locks sticking to her wet face. Her flimsy black tank top and shorts were plastered on her skin from sweat and she seemed to be passed out, her otherwise expressive eyes shut off to the world

Klaus quickly knelt down before her, holding her delicate neck up with his hand, trying to examine her better. An overwhelming feeling of panic made it's way down his spine as he took note of her much too shallow breathing.

"Elijah!" He called out while still cradling her in his arms. "Come on now, love," he whispered to her desperately. "Open those pretty eyes for me. Come on."

As Elijah entered the bathroom and took in the scene before him, Klaus turned on the faucet to the tub, attempting to splash cold water on her face.

"We have to get her back to Sophie," Elijah said swiftly, kneeling down next to his brother. "Now."

"And what if they do more damage to her?" Klaus asked furiously. "Look at her Elijah! She's barely alive!" He screamed in panic, still holding onto her, trying to shake her gently awake.

Elijah rested a hand on his brother's shoulder, reassuringly. "I know you fear for her life and that is exactly why we must get her back to New Orleans as fast as possible. Sophie is our only chance at helping her, Niklaus."

Klaus considered this and looked into Hayley's face once more. While he never spent enough time near the girl to really know her, he was certain he had never seen her weak before. The thought scared him to no end.

This girl was carrying his child. This girl could be dead soon.

Again, the situation was out of his control and the rage brewing inside him was enough to make him do horrendous things. He tried again to think of his older brother's words and with all the effort in his body, he nodded.

"I'll go get the car ready," Elijah said before getting up and leaving the bathroom.

Klaus picked up Hayley's lifeless body, still staring deeply into her face. He could remember her from their night together all those weeks ago. Her big, green eyes gazing up at him suggestively behind her thick lashes. The slight dimples in her cheeks when she would grin at him, usually from a joke at his expense. Her perfect mouth and the way she bit her bottom lip after taking a sip of the scotch he offered her. The way the flames from the fireplace flickered across her face, illuminating her already natural glow.

She was a different person now, lying limply in his arms, her perfect, full lips cracked and dried, her mouth slightly open. He grit his teeth in frustration. He couldn't explain the feeling of outrage in his heart, couldn't understand why this sickly-looking girl was getting under his skin in such a way. His eyes trailed to where her hand was resting on her abdomen and he flinched.

The thought of something happening to the baby stirred a greater fear in him than the one he held for his father. There had to be some way to make this right.

Hayley barely stirred in his arms, her eyes shifting behind her closed lids and a slight murmuring escaped her lips. As he carried her out of the motel room, he gazed down at her face, praying to some higher power, if there was one, that she would open her eyes once more. He waited as patiently as he could, until finally her eyes fluttered to meet his. Hers were deep, emerald pools that always seemed to convey every emotion she was feeling, whether she realized it or not.

He saw the confusion, panic, and eventual fear that settled into her features as she allowed him to carry her. She was clearly too weak to do anything about it anyway, but he continued to meet her stare with as much empathy as he could muster. His eyes flickered between hers as he carried her to Elijah's waiting SUV.

"It's all right, love," he whispered softly. "You're safe now."


	4. Chapter 4

He kept glancing back at me every few seconds, an oddly discerning look befalling his typical brooding features. His eyes would meet mine briefly before falling to my stomach and then he would turn back around in the passenger seat again. I couldn't understand what he was playing at. It was almost like he was checking up on me, still disbelieving that I was laying there in the backseat. Why did he seem to...care? I gripped the blanket he had put around me tighter and watched the early morning clouds pass by through the car window as a paralyzing thought transpired in my head.

_He feels guilty._

I almost laughed out loud at the idea. The almighty Niklaus Mikaelson, the first of his species, conqueror of so many lands and titles, and arguably one of the most gruesome killers of all time, somehow would feel guilty over...well, I wasn't sure what. Sure, he had threatened my life and cast aside the life of his own unborn child. But after the initial shock of that wore off, I had come to be unsurprised by his reaction.

He was a heartless bastard, after all.

I smiled ruefully to myself as I realized I should have known better than to think that anything would ever change that, even the moment he heard the baby's heartbeat back in Sophie's chamber. He passed it off like it had been nothing, called for our execution as though he didn't want to believe we were alive in the first place. And why was he back chasing after me now? If he truly wanted this pregnancy gone then my escaping him should have sufficed as a proper solution to his problem. None of it really made any sense, but I was sick of being hurdled around like some old suitcase. As if I were just another one of his possessions.

He turned his head toward me again and I didn't bother looking back at him this time. I kept my gaze steady on those clouds, so white and innocent, able to roam wherever the sky took them without their own burdens to tie them to the earth. They were weightless.

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, saw those perfect clouds start to get a little fuzzier as I tried not to think of where this car was taking me. I wasn't sure how many times I almost died in the past couple of days. I wasn't even really sure that I wasn't dying right now, but if so, I wouldn't go out crying like a little girl.

I shut my eyes tightly and took a deep breath before opening them to find him looking straight at me. I couldn't read his face and didn't really want to. I was sick of these little mind games and figured I might as well get some answers if I was going to bite the dust soon anyway.

"So let me guess," I said weakly, breaking the choking silence in the car. "Katherine sold me out?"

I met Elijah's gaze in the rear view mirror, the corners of his eyes scrunched by his slight smile. I rolled my eyes and looked out the window again. "That bitch," I muttered under my breath.

"Katerina may not be the most...trustworthy ally," Elijah said. "But had she not called when she did, I'm not sure we would have found you."

I didn't say anything as I thought this over. I couldn't remember much of the night before and what I did remember made my stomach lurch in fear of it happening again. My entire body felt like it had been scorched in fire, my bones aching from the pain of convulsing for hours, and I had never felt so weak in my entire life. I could barely keep my head up and the urge to fall asleep was becoming overwhelming. Still, I clung onto my waking hours for fear that if I let myself close my eyes for too long, I would never open them again. That, and I had to give credit to my own survival instincts for keeping me together this long.

I couldn't exactly understand what was going on with me just yet, but I barely recalled hearing them tell me something about the witches making it impossible for me to turn during the full moon. All I really knew for sure was that whatever spell they had cast was basically hell on earth for me as long as the moon was out. So in essence, nighttime had been unbearable pain, but as soon as dawn broke, my condition was drastically better. While I could barely consider myself conscious last night, I was at least able to speak in full sentences today, which was major progress in my book.

"Well, you found me. What do you plan on doing with me?"

My question was meant to sound lighthearted, maybe even playful, but it did nothing to lessen the tension in the car. If I was honest, I probably knew it was edging on the side of dangerous, especially when even the slightest suggestion of torture and death seemed to send Klaus on a tailspin of excitement.

Nobody answered for several minutes and I was beginning to feel exhausted by the lack of information being given to me. I saw Elijah glance over at Klaus briefly, his younger brother returning the look before sighing heavily.

"We've recently purchased a lovely piece of real estate in the city," Klaus said with a hint of his usual sneer. "Now, it's not our old mansion near the square since my old friend Marcel is currently inhabiting it with his filthy minions, but the location is discreet which makes it ideal."

I scoffed quietly, trying to get comfortable somehow. Everything hurt and the urge to close my eyes was getting stronger. I was so tired I could barely think, but I tried to process his words. They connected absolutely no dots for me whatsoever.

"I'm really glad you boys can finally play house together after all these years, but what's that got to do with me?" My voice cracked on the last word as I shifted my head further up, trying to stay awake. I caught Klaus checking on me again from his side mirror, his jaw clenching slightly from either worry or frustration. I couldn't be sure.

"Hayley, we would like you to come live with us," Elijah said finally. "If you would like to, that is. I'm sure this entire ordeal has been terrifying for you," he continued as I kept my eyes trained on Klaus' face, watching as he dropped his gaze slightly at his brother's words, "but I assure you, all of that is in the past now. My sister Rebekah will also be staying with us and we are all ready to help take care of you and the baby."

I could barely register his words so I said nothing. I just looked out the window again, focusing on those weightless clouds.

"I know you've been looking for your birth parents for quite some time now. That is why you came to New Orleans in the first place right?" Elijah asked as I glanced over at him in the rearview mirror, nodding slightly. I still couldn't seem to find my voice.

"I promise you, we will help you find them. It's the least we can do to make up for the way we handled things earlier," I turned back to the passing view in the window. "You are not just a chess piece, Hayley. This is a chance for all of us to get what we've always wanted. A real family."

_A real family._

Yeah, right.

"Three original vampires, one of them a hybrid, and little 'ole me," I muttered in a hoarse voice. "All living under the same roof, raising my baby. What could possibly go wrong?" I wasn't sure if any of what I was saying was in my head or not. My mind and body were operating of their own accord, and badly, I might add.

"Hayley..." I heard Klaus start but I swiftly cut him off.

"And what happens when one day you decide you'd rather want us dead? Am I just supposed to bet on your good faith or something, Klaus? Because I'll be honest with you, I'd rather take my chances on the road."

He slowly turned around in his seat, facing me completely and instead of his usual look of anger after being confronted, he looked almost remorseful. His jaw was clenched again, his full lips pursed, but his eyes conveyed everything. He wasn't angry. He was scared. I tried not to scrunch up my face in confusion as to why he would be scared of me, especially in my current state.

"I shouldn't have threatened you," he said lowly, his eyes fixed on mine. "That was a mistake and I have regretted it since. This thing with you was...unexpected." I turned my head to gaze out the window again at his confession.

I didn't want to understand why it hurt to hear him speak about it the way he did. I could understand his look of remorse now, not because he felt guilty for sending me to my death, but because he regretted the entire thing completely. I knew he wished we had never gotten drunk together in the first place, that he had never really wanted me at all, and the night that transpired was just another notch on his bed. Another mistake to forget about in the morning.

But the problem was, this mistake would haunt him for the rest of his existence. I knew every time he looked at me, he would somehow feel pity for himself for getting mixed up with some werewolf girl that he would have probably forgotten about by now.

He would still be trying to win Caroline's heart, I thought.

I knew I was being a hypocrite even allowing his dismissal to bother me, when he wasn't exactly the man I had pictured having a baby with either. I never planned on any of this ever happening to me in the first place, but the pain of knowing the man who's baby you were carrying inside you didn't ever really want anything to do with you is a harsh reality to swallow. Now, I was stuck. I was stuck in this car with him and his brother and soon I would be stuck in a house in New Orleans with them and their sister. Despite Elijah's insistence on being a family, I knew I might as well have been a sofa they picked up from Ikea, just to fill the space until they chose to redecorate.

"But, I shouldn't have lashed out in anger," he continued, taking me out of my own head. "Especially at you...and our baby."

My eyes flashed back to him so quickly, I nearly fainted from the movement. He looked uncomfortable after saying the words, almost like it had felt wrong coming out of his mouth. But my heart had skipped a beat, regardless.

_Be careful or you'll be done for._

When I still hadn't responded, he went on, "I promise to keep both of you safe. We all will, but it won't do us any good if you decide to run away again. The witch will fix you, I will make sure of it, but I need your word. Promise me you won't run again."

His shamrock green eyes were beautiful in the morning light, reflecting specs of gold and turquoise into his soul. He had roamed the earth for thousands of years, surpassing the lives of everyone mortal he had ever known, some even immortal like him. Yet, he had never faced death directly, hadn't ever allowed himself to get close. Despite his age, his eyes were defiant and childish. He was just a little boy who had learned to play his cards close to his vest, just like me. We kept secrets, we broke truces, we lied and cheated, but we had survived, nonetheless.

I allowed myself to lay back completely in the seat as I closed my eyes decidedly. I could feel his gaze still penetrating me as I answered him before succumbing to sleep.

"I don't make promises."


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I took a few days to write a much-needed, longer chapter. Enjoy and thanks for all the reviews.

* * *

The faint sound of murmuring voices shook me awake as I slowly flexed my legs against the softest sheets I had ever felt in my entire life. For a moment, I thought I could have been floating on clouds, maybe even the white, fluffy ones from the car ride. But I wasn't in the car now. I was in a bed.

_Who's bed?_

My eyes fluttered open, greeting a golden cascade of sunshine flooding in through a big balcony seat window. The white, billowy curtains were swept to the side, letting light shine in and illuminate the room around me. I was still so hazy that all I could really do was take it all in. I heard those voices again and it took me a moment before I could flex my muscles enough to turn around and face them. My body felt like it had been paralyzed for days.

As I inched up from the bed at snail speed, I saw Kai walk over to me and a moment of panic shot through my veins.

"Morning sunshine," she said in an airy voice as she helped me sit, stacking the insanely soft pillows behind me to prop me up better.

"Hey," I replied groggily, my eyes still scrunched from the light.

Kai pulled up a wicker chair next to the bed and sat back, her eyes shifting behind me as someone else came toward us. I put a hand over my forehead to see things better and found Sophie, her hair tied back with the same bandana she usually wore to work at the restaurant. My stomach growled lowly at the thought of her gumbo. What I wouldn't give for a bowl of that right now, I thought desperately.

I knew in the back of my head that I was supposed to hate her, but all I could really think about was the persistent grumbling in my belly. I was beyond famished.

"Well, you seem a lot better. I guess those herbs worked after all," Sophie said with a pleasant smile on her face. "I'm not going to lie though, I wasn't sure what was going to happen when the boys brought you back. You looked like total shit."

I glared up at her and tried my hardest not to make a snide remark.

Nope, didn't work.

"It's a funny thing that happened, actually," I started, my voice even. "The full moon was out, as usual, and I was ready to shift, as usual. But then instead of turning into the wolf, I just started convulsing around my hotel room like fucking Amy Winehouse when she's overdosing! Call me crazy, but I think that may have had something to do with you and your witchy hocus pocus. Am I right?"

I knew I would've been screaming in a shrill voice if I hadn't just woken up, so instead, my outlandish reaction just came out hysteric and sleepy. I didn't know what had gotten into me, especially since I wasn't usually this bitchy so early in the day. But I was so damn hungry, I couldn't think straight.

_The things I would do for some gumbo right now..._

Thankfully, Sophie just pursed her lips and sighed, pulling up another wicker chair next to a chuckling Kai. She sat with her elbows on her knees and her hands fisted together in front of her.

"I have a lot of explaining to do," she said, her tone somewhat remorseful. "You're pissed, I get that. You have every right to be. I should have never treated you the way I did the other night. I mean, I can't even imagine how scary all of that must have been. With me, Elijah, Klaus, the pregnancy..."

Her voice trailed off and her eyes focused on a spot on the ground I couldn't see. She bit her lip, hesitating on how to continue, so I did the only thing I could do. I waited for answers.

"See the thing is, Marcel had just killed Jane Ann," she said quietly and I closed my eyes at the thought.

I had spoken to Jane Ann regularly during the two days I was in New Orleans searching for my parents and it was her reassurance that got me through the awkwardness of being the new girl in town. I detected immediately that werewolves were few and far between in this place, but the vampires ran rampant. I would see them partying in the square every night from my small hotel room, hear their passionate cries of power and immortality until right before dawn. It was as though every night was a celebration of their own reign. Voices constantly whispered the name Marcel and when I didn't have anyone to get answers from, I got them from Jane Ann.

While we never discussed the supernatural aspect of things, I picked up pretty quickly that Marcel was the end all, be all ruler of New Orleans. His professional title may have been that of a governor, but I had been around enough egomaniacs to know a brutal force of power when I saw one. Even the infamous witches of the Big Easy didn't seem to mess with the way things were around here. After being near Bonnie Bennett, I was no fool to the influence of magic on vampires. But there were no signs of any type of regulation in this town. No system of checks and balances. No rock, paper, scissors.

Just Marcel and his army of vampires.

"I told her to just leave you alone," Sophie continued, still gazing off somewhere I couldn't see. "I didn't want to get involved in any of this to begin with. I know that maybe hard to believe, but in that sense, we're kind of in the same boat."

As I studied her face, there was no mistaking the familiar temperament of loss, confusion, and worst of all, desperation. She looked exactly like I felt, like there weren't enough options in the world for her to make her life any easier. Somehow in that moment, it didn't feel like we were on opposite sides of a fence.

Maybe we were all actually on the same side trying to peer out.

"My sister's a tough one to convince, though. She's one of those go-getter types, you know? She used to drive me crazy with that shit when we were in high school, always bugging me to go study with her or work on projects that weren't even due for weeks," she seemed to be in a world of her own as she reminisced, a faraway glaze falling over her eyes.

"But despite all the times I tried to bring her down to my level, it never worked. She was always so ahead of everyone else, like she knew something that we hadn't figured out yet," Sophie met my stare. "That's how she was when she first saw you. She really liked you, you know. Right from the first day you walked in, asking about wolf legends. You weren't too subtle about what you were, so it didn't take long for her to piece it all together. That, and you mentioned having a recent one-night stand in Mystic Falls."

I could feel my eyes widen and I brought a hand over my mouth to contain whatever bullshit would probably come out next. I was beyond mortified. I could barely remember most of what I said to Jane Ann, mostly because I never suspected her of being a witch, let alone a witch with a clear plan in motion. I was also pretty infamous for saying outlandish things before I had a chance to think them over, which clearly included confessing my fornication schedule to random waitresses.

_Really, Hayley, you've got to get some real friends._

Kai chuckled again at my reaction, while Sophie only grinned and continued.

"See, everyone who's anyone knows that Klaus was recently having a prolonged stay in Mystic Falls. And anyone that comes out of that town is clearly comfortable with the supernatural. When I mentioned to Jane Ann that I could sense your pregnancy, it was like the clocks were in motion in her head. I'll never forget the look on her face. It was like she had just solved a rubix cube or something," she laughed slightly. "But she knew somehow and she was right. I tried to talk her out of doing that spell, but she wouldn't hear it. She'd been searching for a way out of Marcel's rules for as long as I could remember and she said that Klaus could help us. All of us. She also said that you would be our key to Klaus."

I raised my eyebrows slightly and sat up straighter in bed, fiddling my fingers in my lap. "Well, if we're going to be exchanging confessions, then I have to tell you how sorry I am that your sister died because of me. I don't know Marcel and I hope I never have to, but what he did was completely unforgivable and I don't blame you for hating him." Sophie nodded and gave me a thin smile that let me know we were okay.

I then turned to Kai and said, "And I have to apologize to you as well. I thought I was going to die and I panicked so I knocked you out without thinking. You definitely didn't deserve that, especially after you were being so nice anyway."

Kai just brushed me off with a smile. "It's fine, I understand. I was pretty pissed at first, I'm not going to lie, but I get why you did it."

I smiled and looked at her left cheek, wondering where the big, purple bruise was. Her golden brown skin was as flawless as ever, but I knew that right hook was bound to leave a mark. She saw me looking at her curiously.

"Magic," she replied with a grin.

"I thought you witches weren't allowed to do magic here," I said.

"Magic can come in all types of forms," Sophie explained as she stood up. "Marcel may have control over the big stuff, like spells, incantations, and whatnot, but we've learned a thing or two about keeping ourselves viable. If we don't allow ourselves to practice small stuff every now and then, who's to say we'll be able to defend ourselves when the time calls for it?"

I didn't ask the question that was plaguing my mind right then, even though it seemed to be the most obvious one to ask

_Are we preparing for war?_

"I've got to get down to the restaurant for my shift," Sophie muttered as she grabbed her keys off the side table, before turning to Kai who was still seated next to me. "She's got to be starving by now. There's nothing in the fridge yet, so when you guys are ready, come down to the square and I'll make you some gumbo. On the house."

She smiled at me knowingly and my stomach growled in response. We all laughed before she waved a final goodbye and left the room. I was left in somewhat of a reverie afterward. That entire exchange almost felt like we were friends. I shivered slightly before being interrupted by Kai.

"Well, I guess that would be our cue to get you fed," she said standing up and offering a hand out to me.

I looked up at her with a grateful smile and let her pull me out of bed. I stretched dramatically, face scrunched, bones cracking and all. I looked down at what I was wearing and realized I still had on the black tank top and shorts from the motel room. I scrunched my nose in disgust and before I could say anything, Kai threw me some floral fabric. I caught it and unraveled it to find an airy summer dress with printed red roses and a pair of lacy underwear. I picked up the small garment with my index finger and thumb and raised it questioningly at Kai.

"Relax," she laughed. "Rebekah went shopping earlier to get you a few essentials, but don't worry. We have the whole day to get the rest of your wardrobe. But first things first, you need to take a shower miss werewolf," she said holding her nose with her fingers mockingly and using the other hand to point toward the bathroom.

I scoffed with a smile on my face and saluted her before grabbing my new clothes and heading toward the door she pointed at. If the bedroom was this extravagant, I was almost nervous to see the bathroom. Suddenly, a thought spurred me around.

"Did you just say Rebekah bought me this? Today?" I asked slowly. Kai just nodded.

"Yeah, she drove in from Mystic Falls last night," she answered nonchalantly.

"And where is everyone now?" I said dropping my voice for whatever reason.

"Out and about. Klaus wanted us to keep an eye on you until you woke up. He said they'd all be back for dinner."

I raised my eyebrows at the thought of dinner with three vampires and Kai put her hands up shrugging. I shook my head and headed toward the bathroom.

As soon as I flipped the light on, my jaw dropped. It was all too much. The shower was encased in stone walls, with just a frosted glass door sectioning it off. Not to be outdone, the tub was old-fashioned and sat on curved silver legs, making it look so glamorous I almost squealed. The whole thing was huge, much larger than any bathroom I had ever been in. I shut the door behind me and started the shower, setting the temperature on the warmer side. I decided to save the tub for a later occasion when I could thoroughly bask in its goodness without Kai waiting outside the door. I paced the bathroom waiting for the water to heat up in the shower and smiled at the irony of it all.

_A later occasion._

Would there even be one? Was I really going to stay here in this mansion in New Orleans with a bunch of people I didn't know? It would be so different than staying with wolf packs for a few months out of the year, I realized as I peeled off my sticky clothes. Steam fogged up the mirrors, covering my reflection as I walked into the decadent shower, still contemplating the many questions in my head. I had never stayed in any one place for too long, but I was already pretty worn out from all random events lately. It would make sense to stay for a little while, if only to gather myself and get another plan ready. I did have my baby to think about now as well, I thought, placing a hand over my still flat abdomen. It was still strange to me that even after finding out days ago that I was carrying a child inside me, I didn't feel any of the physical symptoms of being pregnant. I guess it would all hit me later, which was a point in time that I was equally dreading and looking forward to.

I stood under the hot water, letting it wash away all the terrible things, like I always wished it could. I was pleased to find that there were already the necessary toiletries nearby and quickly made use of the shampoo, lathering up my stringy locks.

Somewhere between washing off soap from my body and wrapping a towel around myself as I stepped out of the shower, I made the decision to stay in New Orleans. The first time around hadn't gone so well and I ended up getting abducted, held captive, and voted to die. But this time, I woke up in the softest bed in the world, got answers that I desperately needed, and had a hot shower. Not to mention, free gumbo. I could spin this in my favor for the time being.

The mirrors were still fogged up from the steam, so I took my arm and swiped it across the cool glass in front of me so I could finally see myself. I bit my lip and sighed.

_You're not in Kansas anymore._

* * *

"Okay, I know you said we were going shopping, but I have about twenty bucks to my name right now, so until I get a job," I said, shuffling around in my purse for my sunglasses and putting them on. "I'm going to have to make that last for a while. Can't go blowing all my savings in one place," I joked as we walked down the street toward Sophie's restaurant.

The sun was shining high and despite my still growling stomach, I was feeling a million times better. The breeze was cool against my skin, my hair was softened and blowing pleasantly around my face, and even the silky fabric of my dress felt like water splashing against my legs. I was in such good spirits and I was so relieved at being better that I was in an even better mood because of it. Days like this were rare in my experience, so I grabbed it with both hands and embraced everything it had to offer. Who knew when the curtains would close on all of this anyway.

"Relax, Klaus took care of it," Kai said, grabbing me by the elbow so we walked with our arms linked. I was so perturbed by this gesture of affection, of friendship, that it took me a second to get back into my rhythm again.

"Wait, what do you mean he took care of it?" I asked stopping and turning toward her. She sighed and pulled me along, still clutching my arm.

"I mean, he took care of it, Hayley. Do you have any idea how much buried treasure Klaus has collected over the years? The guy is loaded," she explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I didn't argue with her, but the entire notion of it felt weird to me. On one hand, who was I to refuse a rich guy buying me things? But on the other hand, when did asking someone to live with you and buying their existence become the same thing? I was torn somehow on this and I didn't understand why. I couldn't grasp why the image of his face kept blocking my thoughts, his green eyes so crystal clear and beautiful that it almost hurt to stare directly into them. I tried to brush off the way his looks sometimes made me feel. Sometimes I was paralyzed by him, other times I felt trapped, but right now all I felt was this unwelcome understanding of the way his mind worked. I knew that underneath all of the anger and violence, there was a wounded little boy who had been aching for a place to call his own.

I knew all of this because I was the exact same little girl, lost and waiting to be found again.

I tried not picturing him alone all these years, with only the weight of his acquired gold to keep him rooted. And I tried my best not to let my heart ache slightly as the thought of his loneliness somehow made my own feel so profound.

I shrugged those thoughts away as we walked into the crowded restaurant. I was having a good day so far and thinking about Klaus and our shared grievances did nothing to keep the enemy at bay. I deduced any images of him to hormones. Pregnancy hormones, in fact. Yep, that had to be it.

Sophie glanced over at us from the kitchen, nodding over to a table near her that was still vacant. We took our seats and looked at each other with wide eyes at the incredible smell wafting throughout the room. Kai giggled and I smiled back as we waited for Sophie.

I took in the scene around me and realized that the common people, the humans, were talking and laughing as though they were none the wiser about all the supernatural partying that went down every night. It was a strange disposition and right as I was about to ask Kai to elaborate on the vampires in this town, I felt someone approach our table. I inhaled deeply and my wolf senses detected the unmistakable smell of fresh blood.

_Speak of the devil._

I raised my eyes toward Kai and saw her glaring up at the figure standing next to us. I slowly looked him over and took in his amused smile, squinting eyes, clenched fists, ticking jaw, and air of superiority. I didn't want to jump to conclusions but something told me this was one of the head honchos around here.

"Well, well, well, miss Kai," he said in a sing-songy voice that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "Fancy running into you here. You look like you could use some gumbo, am I right?"

He waved over at Sophie, who had been watching him with a look of pure disdain on her face. I could see the muscles in her jaw straining against her skin and if it were quiet enough, I'm sure we would've heard the sound of her teeth grinding. She threw the towel on her shoulder down with some emphasis before rubbing a hand over her forehead and walking over to us begrudgingly.

"You rang?" She asked almost bored, if it weren't for her incredible constraint of anger.

He laughed too much and looked behind him, acknowledging his minions, who I had barely even noticed until now. They stood a good three feet away from him, one with dark spiky hair and a heavier build and the other was much taller with short blonde hair. Both looked equally stupid to me as they chuckled along with their leader. A cold shiver ran down my spine as a realization hit me.

_Their leader. _

This had to be Marcel.

As soon as I thought it, I switched my gaze back to Kai who met my look and seemed to understand my silent question. She nodded slightly, her lips pursed. Everyone else seemed to be on edge as well and as I took in the restaurant around us, it seemed significantly less boisterous than before.

"Now, Sophie, there's no need to be hostile. I'm sorry about what happened to your sister but let's not pretend like she didn't know the rules," he said icily.

Sophie opened her mouth to speak and he kept looking at her, almost daring her to slip up. But she didn't falter and simply closed her mouth again, nodding with her mouth in a straight line.

_If looks could kill._

Marcel gave a condescending smile, a gesture that only seemed to mock her inability to stand up for herself. His presence was making me sick and suddenly I didn't care about the gumbo anymore. I just wanted to get the hell out of here, away from this creepy bastard.

"Pardon my manners, miss...?" he said holding out his hand and bending over to be eye level with me.

I took his hand hesitantly and tried not to flinch as he kissed it, still gazing deeply into my eyes. I met his stare and replied, "Hayley."

"Tell me, Hayley," he said straightening back up, now looking down on me. "What brings you to the Big Easy? Is it Sophie's gumbo? Because Lord knows, it's practically the best gumbo in the South. Ain't that right boys?" He turned back toward his minions who mumbled back their accordance.

"I'm on vacation," I replied shortly. "And I'm sure Sophie would love to offer us some of her famous gumbo, if you would allow her to get back to work."

I heard Sophie cough back a laugh and felt Kai's wide-eyed stare as I continued to plaster on a fake smile for Marcel. I was airing on the side of feisty and flirty for appearances' sake, but the pleasantry was just a mask for unbridled irritation and discomfort. Marcel's eyebrows nearly met his hairline and a wide smile slowly appeared on his face. Then suddenly, he was laughing. I watched him double over, glance back at his minions and then saw the laugh with him as well.

"Well Hayley, I guess you're right. I'll let you ladies get back to your lunch. But hey, if you need anyone to show you the way this town works, you be sure to let me know." He said walking backwards toward the door with his friends in tow. His smile said friendly but his eyes cast a warning at me and I read it loud and clear.

_Game on, dickface._


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Sorry for the wait, but life happens. Enjoy!

* * *

The sun was slowly setting by the time Kai insisted she get me back before Klaus got too curious. I tried repeatedly to stall but she could clearly see through my lame excuses. So with several shopping bags in tow, we loaded up her car and headed home.

_Home._

I kept fidgeting in my seat, trying not to outwardly groan at the thought of spending the night alone in that huge mansion with the original family of vampires. I turned toward Kai, biting my lip and my eyes wide in what I hoped would translate into an empathetic expression.

"No, Hayley," she replied without even looking at me.

I scoffed dramatically and slumped back down in my seat again with my arms crossed in front of me.

"Look, all I'm saying is that you could spend a couple of nights in there with me until I get situated," I tried to explain. "That place is ginormous! I'm sure they won't even notice you crashing there."

"That's hardly the point. You and Klaus are going to parents sooner than you realize, which means you guys probably should have had a plan ready months ago," she said with a sideways glance at me. "It's time to start building the stepping stones to a family now. For the sake of your baby."

"Okay, enough playing the baby card," I snapped slightly. "You've been on my ass all day about the baby."

"But, you do realize you're pregnant, right? This is actually going to happen."

A loud sigh.

"That's what you keep telling me."

* * *

Kai refused to walk with me inside the house, despite my many pleas and tricks to have her rhetorically hold my hand throughout this entire awkward process. Even when I pointed out that it was cruel to make a pregnant woman carry all those shopping bags, she just gave me a look that made me grimace in another failed attempt to get her to feel sorry for me. So I rolled my eyes and closed the car door a bit harder than I needed to as I went to open the trunk and grab my bags.

I saw Kai's phone light up from inside the car and before I could yell at her to stop, Klaus was already walking right up to me with his phone in his left hand. He shut it and put it in his pocket, smiled at me and went to carry the pile of bags himself. All I could do was gawk at him as he wore that boyish grin, the one that made my knees weak somehow. I finally took my eyes away from his retreating figure as he made his way into the house before I went around to Kai's window and knocked incessantly.

"What psycho?" she asked perturbed, rolling down the window. I was still knocking in my haste.

"You called him?!" I hissed. "That's a low blow,_ friend_."

"Oh, don't be such a drama queen," she laughed. "He carried your shopping bags filled with clothes that he paid for into the lavish mansion that he bought for you and your unborn child to share with him."

I straightened up and crossed my arms over my chest again, just looking at her. I knew she was right, but stubborn was my middle name and one of the things I hated most in this world was admitting when I was wrong.

"So, what's your point?" I asked stupidly.

Kai just rolled her eyes and smiled as she started her car and put it in reverse. She had one hand on the steering wheel and the other elbow hanging out of her open window as she peeled out of the front entrance, straightening her car to go back on the road. Right before she took off, she yelled out at me.

"Give it a chance!"

And then she was gone and I caught myself staring at the back of her tail lights, wishing I could put her words into action. I shook my head slightly and looked toward the mansion. It truly was a beautiful sight to behold.

The grass all around the front porch was luscious and green, creating a stark contrast against the striking white of the old plantation house. A majestic weeping willow gently swayed against the summer breeze, brushing against the many rose bushes outlining the wrap-around deck of the house. I could see that the crystal chandelier in the foyer was on, as well as several other lights inside. Something caught my eye near the right side of the house by the rocking wicker chairs.

It took a second before I realized he was waiting for me, leaned up against one of the wooden banisters of the open patio. I couldn't tell his expression from where I was, but he didn't seem angry or upset. He just seemed to be waiting for me.

I made my way over to him, letting my gaze fall to the ground and nervously tucking my hair behind my ear. As I climbed the few steps up to the deck, I saw him walking closer toward me and my breath caught in my throat.

He was in a basic black long sleeve shirt that was rolled up to his elbows and dark jeans with a brown belt. His facial hair had grown out enough to be considered scruffy and his green eyes seemed electric against his alabaster skin. I felt my breathing become irregular and my heart palpitating as I seriously considered that I might be having a minor heart attack.

Suddenly we were right in front of each other and everything about him was overwhelming me. I could even detect the familiar scent of him wafting around me in the breeze and it brought me back to the moment when he carried me in his arms after leaving King's Motel. There was something musky and earthy about him that had me feeling so dizzy and yet all I wanted in that moment was to be surrounded by it completely.

I was so entranced by my own thoughts that I didn't realize neither of us had said a word until he finally broke the silence.

"Did you enjoy yourself today?" His voice was calm, quiet, and genuine, which took me by surprise. It was several moments before anything actually left my now open mouth.

"Yeah...I...I did," I stammered out finally. "Thank you for all of that. You really didn't have to pay for everything."

I didn't know what had gotten into me, why I was all of a sudden acting like a little teenybopper meeting a rock star for the first time or something. It was embarrassing.

"Oh, it's no matter. The problem with being rich and immortal is that you rarely ever get a chance to actually spend your wealth," he said with a smile. I took a deep breath to steady my beating heart.

"Well, it was oddly...kind of you," I said with a slight laugh and looked down at my feet, before realizing that my snarky comment was uncalled for in this scenario. I felt my cheeks burn as I looked up at him and saw his face fall a bit.

"I'm sorry," I rushed. "I shouldn't have..."

"No, no," he cut me off, waving his hand dangerously close to me, to the point that I almost leaned back from it to avoid being touched.

If I was this overwhelmed from just being near him, then there was no way I was going to fair well if he touched me.

"Hayley," he started, shifting his feet. "I think you and I should talk about...well, everything."

I just nodded at him. He motioned over to the wicker chairs and I followed him, sitting down and crossing my legs. I saw his eyes following my movement hungrily before he suddenly looked away and sat down next to me in the other seat. An uncomfortably pleasant burn coiled in my lower stomach and I thought for a second that it could be the baby before the heat settled between my legs. I clenched my thighs together tighter and prayed that he wouldn't notice.

_What the hell is going on with you?_

He settled into the chair with his elbows resting on his knees and his long fingers crossed together in front of him. I shifted my gaze to a budding rose against the white banister in front of us, trying not to get lost in him again. I couldn't seem to think straight when he was around and especially lately when he'd been so unlike his former angry self.

"I'm sorry," his low voice brought me back to the present. I glanced at him and saw him fixated on his hands and I decided that might be a good option for me too, so I started fiddling my fingers as well.

"I've been horrible to you ever since all of this started. I took my anger out on you, but I knew it wasn't your fault. I knew you couldn't have done anything to either prevent this or plan it. It's just...this baby is...a surprise, to say the least."

I waited for him to continue, knowing that he had more to say. In all honesty, I had been waiting to hear him say more than a few sentences to me for days anyway.

"But despite the rough start, it could turn out to be a very pleasant surprise," he went on. "That is, if you will please forgive me for being such an insufferable ass and reconsider how you feel about me. I know you must hate me and I've done nothing to change your mind on that, but maybe we could become partners in this endeavor. I would like nothing more."

I finally looked up at him and saw him gazing back at me with nothing but sincerity in his features. It was almost too much. I felt my eyes prickling and I tried to nonchalantly blink the tears away. My hormones had to be acting up by now because I had no rhyme or reason for what was going on with me emotionally today.

"I don't hate you," I finally said, unable to tear my eyes from his. "Do you hate me?"

I hadn't meant to ask, but it came out of my mouth before I could process the answer I wanted to hear. I guess deep down, it was something I had wondered ever since he accused me of being with someone else in that chamber. Something in his eyes that night made me feel a hatred so palpable, I could almost taste it and the thought had paralyzed me ever since.

He scrunched his eyebrows at my question and leaned further in his seat, shifting closer to me and causing his scent to invade my space again, making my head dizzy. His hands were so close to my own resting on my knee that it was all I could look at.

"I need you to hear me when I say this," he said lowly, his voice dangerously even. "Look at me, Hayley."

As soon as my name left his lips, my eyes were on his and I felt like I had been instantly transported somewhere else, somewhere foreign. Somewhere I was afraid to go but somehow couldn't escape.

He took my hands in his and goosebumps flocked across my skin. A warmth came over me and that same pleasant coiling began to burn throughout my body again. It felt wonderful, but almost painful at the same time. I had to train myself not to fidget in his hands as we continued to look into each other's eyes. His were solid, certain, green, and reassuring so I took solace in them.

"I have never hated you," he said softly, but just as dangerously. "I have no reason to hate you now or before."

His thumbs were brushing over my fingers slightly and I focused on the movement, letting it unwind my nerves. He was so beautiful looking at me like I was the only thing in the world at that moment and I relished the feeling, though I wasn't quite sure what it was just yet. I just knew that I was scared of this pregnancy and he was the only other person on the planet that I knew was just as scared as I was. Like it or not, we were in this together.

"But a part of you does blame me for getting pregnant," I said truthfully. "You were really angry with me that night."

His hands gripped mine tighter and he sighed heavily before removing his hands from mine all together and sitting back in his chair. The sudden lack of contact left me feeling cold and I could barely even think clearly now that I wasn't dizzy from his scent. Everything seemed off kilter somehow.

"I was angry. I was very, very angry," he said so quietly, I thought he might be talking to himself. His eyes flickered back and forth, looking out into the night sky. "But I don't blame you for any of this. Honestly, I don't. Like I said, I took my frustrations out on you without reason. I suppose you were an easy target at the time," he smiled remorsefully.

"I guess I can understand that," I replied. A few moments of silence passed before I asked the inevitable question.

"What happens now?"

He sighed again and laughed nervously. His light was so contagious that I began laughing lightly too. He was looking at me with those eyes again and I shuddered, my heart beating so wildly against my chest.

_How was I supposed to breathe with him looking at me like that?_

"I don't know, love," he said honestly, still smiling at me.

I held his gaze and smiled back. I wasn't sure what was happening, but sitting out here with him made me less scared than I had been in a really long time. I was subconsciously freaking out about so many things, namely the pregnancy, but now, I felt at ease. Something about knowing we were on the same page, and more importantly, the same side, made the world seem a little less scary.

I wasn't sure how long we were out there, looking at each other but time seemed to slow down and I was grateful for it. Before I could enjoy it for too long, however, the front door of the house opened to reveal a pretty, tall, blonde who I could only infer was Rebekah.

"Are you two fornicators just going to sit outside in the dark all night, or has your incessant parenting conversation worked up an appetite for dinner yet?" She asked haughtily as she strolled over to us, her eyes immediately landing on me and staying there.

"Hayley, this is my brat of a sister, Rebekah," Klaus said with a sneer, gesturing toward her. "Rebekah, this is Hayley, the mother of my child."

My stomach lurched at his admission and before I could inwardly jump for joy, Rebekah had her hand stuck out at me.

"So, you're the werewolf who's carrying my niece or nephew," she said in awe. "Nice to finally meet you."

I grinned up at her and took her cold hand in mine and shook it slightly as she smiled back at me. "Likewise," I replied. "Although, you shouldn't feel too left out. This whole thing happened pretty quickly."

Her eyes grew wide in mock surprise and she put a hand over her heart and turned to Klaus. "Oh dear brother, don't tell me your rendezvous didn't last very long. How disappointing for Hayley, don't you think? After thousands of years of practice, you'd think you could get it right when it actually counts," she winked at me.

My eyes went wide and I saw Klaus' expression drop to one of edgy irritation. "No, no, I...I didn't mean that...I meant," I stammered as Rebekah laughed.

Klaus abruptly stood up and I could barely look at him, I was so mortified by the whole situation. I had only just met his sister and already our one-night stand was being put under a microscope. I wanted to crawl under a hole and die.

"Darling sister, your knack for humor continues to amaze me," he muttered while turning his back to us and walking inside the house.

Rebekah was still chuckling as she straightened up and put her hand out for me to take, which I did with a slight groan. She put her arm around my wilted shoulders and lead me inside the house, where an unbelievably delicious smell was wafting in from the kitchen.

"Don't worry, he'll get over it," she said as we walked together. "He may be short-tempered, but sibling bickering is inevitable under one roof. He knows that."

I already liked this girl, though I wasn't sure why. She seemed to have a good handle on her brother, which I realized could only come to my benefit so long as we got along. So far so good.

"So dinner, huh?" I asked, changing the subject. "I thought vampires didn't eat food."

"Oh sweetheart," Rebekah smiled, pulling me closer against her. "We're changing all the rules for you," she said with a wink before walking ahead of me and motioning for me to follow her.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: This chapter is inspired by the Vampire Diaries finale, particularly that kiss between Klaus and Caroline (barf). For the sake of my own story, Rebekah will remain in New Orleans.

* * *

_4 weeks later..._

Cars honked as I passed them, but it didn't hinder my mood. I kept ignoring the whistling and cat calling as I walked down the square, only too aware of how short my mini skirt was. I rolled my eyes at a couple of douche bags in an old pick-up truck who were clearly in town for summer vacation as they yelled out every seemingly flattering compliment my way. Empty words like hot, gorgeous, beautiful, and my all-time favorite, angel face.

_If only they knew they were hollering at a pregnant chick._

I grinned to myself and pushed my sunglasses higher up on my nose as I turned the corner into a hidden alleyway that would steer me clear of testosterone-fueled human boys. I untied the small white apron off my work uniform and began counting out my tips for the day, slowing my strut to a languid walk.

I started waitressing at Sophie's restaurant about a week after we moved into the white mansion. After trying repeatedly to keep myself busy by cleaning, organizing, and rearranging the entire house, I had to convince Elijah and Klaus to let me get a job somewhere. Rebekah had already taken my side on the issue and backed me up when I confronted her brothers.

At first, Klaus wouldn't hear a word about it, even when I tried time and time again to trick him into the conversation. His trust in me had diminished slightly after he found out about our encounter with Marcel at the restaurant. The whole thing had slipped my mind and even when I did remember it, I chose not to tell Klaus. After all, I couldn't recall a moment of actual significance in the exchange so therefore, I really didn't see the point in complaining about it.

Unfortunately, Klaus didn't share in that sentiment.

When Sophie first let slip that Marcel had met me, I thought Klaus' eyes would certainly catch fire from his immediate anger. It was like watching someone light a blow torch. Even after the calm couple of weeks we had all enjoyed in his good-tempered company, all of the smiling and reassuring went out the window as soon as he found out. A shudder ran through me every time I thought about it.

"_How am I to keep you and the baby safe if you cannot tell me everything!" His deafening voice echoed throughout the house, causing its inhabitants to flinch from the intrusion. "What if he had found out you were pregnant? He could be putting all the pieces together as we speak. This is not a joking matter, Hayley. From now on, you will tell me everything, do you understand?" _

_He stalked toward me, his eyes murderous. I couldn't even look away. Not only because I was afraid to, but because something told me that this was about as serious as Klaus ever got and to contradict him now would be a sucker move._

"_Yes," I whispered softly._

"_Everything Hayley," he said dangerously low. "Even the things you don't want me to know, you will tell me. I cannot predict what Marcel would do if he knew you were carrying my child. It may not take him long to realize what we are all hoping to accomplish here."_

_He turned toward the others. Elijah leaning against the fireplace with his hands in his pockets, a freshly tailored suit covering his tall frame. Rebekah sitting behind me, her legs propped up underneath her as she balanced easily on the arm of the old vintage couch. Sophie with her arms crossed in front of her in between the family members, giving me that same concerned look she always seemed to whenever Marcel's name was brought up._

"_From now on, we keep our ears to the ground," Klaus said threateningly. "If we're to protect Hayley and get rid of this bastard Marcel, we'll have to always be one step ahead."_

I finished counting out the bills and calculated about a $300 earning from my morning shift. I grinned widely and threw my arm up in the air in triumph, nearing the block where I knew Rebekah's black Porsche would be waiting for me. She hated getting stuck between pedestrians on the square and had started picking me up a few blocks down to avoid the hoopla. That, and her car was far from discreet, which would inevitably raise questions from patrons if they saw me getting into it. Every move I made now was carefully situated to avoid raising eyebrows and begging questions.

Although, I had always kept to myself and only ever socialized with others for my own personal gain, waitressing wasn't as low-key of a job as I had hoped it would be. The regulars took quite a liking to me and for the sake of making more money, I allowed myself to be friendlier than I normally would. Not to mention, Marcel and his gang of comrades visited the restaurant regularly and my run-ins with him were becoming somewhat common. Thankfully, he had yet to pay enough attention to me to realize that I was pregnant and I always made sure our conversations were short and to the point.

As far as he knew, I was just an old friend of Sophie and Kai's who was now staying with them after I left my ex-boyfriend in Jefferson. It wasn't the most exciting story, but it came to me spur of the moment one night when Marcel started grilling me on my past and what brought me here to the Big Easy. I made sure to tell Klaus every detail of every encounter, no matter how repetitive or irrelevant it seemed to me. He always listened with rapt attention, his eyes blazing, lips pursed and an air of eerie calm surrounding him until I finished. It was like he was logging away all the information in his brain to use at a later time.

I decided a long time ago that whatever battle plans he and Elijah had for Marcel, I would keep myself and the baby totally clear of it. I didn't know the details and quite honestly, I didn't want to know.

As I approached Rebekah's idling car, I noticed she was busy on her phone. Probably just playing Angry Birds, I thought smiling. I decided to liven things up a bit, especially after I scored such a fantastic loot from the restaurant.

I jumped in front of her car, my hands hitting the metal loudly. Her eyes popped up and I saw her mouth the word "Jesus" as she dropped her phone. I started booty shaking and pop-locking in front of her, tossing my hair around wildly and shaking my tits. She just rolled her eyes and started laughing when I silently began mouthing the words to the Macarena and demonstrating the dance moves dramatically. As I swiveled my ass around and finished with a loud "Ahhh!", I skipped over the passenger side of the car and practically jumped in.

Rebekah was still laughing as I side-hugged her tightly, attempting to kiss the side of her face as she tried to pry me off of her. Although we had only really known each other for a few weeks, she was quickly becoming my favorite person in New Orleans. Something about knowing that she was practically family now made all the tension and awkwardness of meeting new people fall away from me. She didn't intimidate me like Klaus or make me want to act proper like Elijah. She was just like me, a young girl chasing freedom and I found that I could really be my normal, dorky self with her. After all the craziness in both of our lives, I think we were just grateful to have someone to share it with.

"What in the world has gotten into you," she mumbled, finally pushing me back into my seat and smiling at me widely. "Pregnant lady hormones, I presume?"

I rolled my eyes at her. "Duh, everything crazy I do is pregnant lady hormones, remember?" I grinned and dug through her CD's, finding the John Mellencamp greatest hits record I loved so much. I quickly slipped it in to the stereo and cranked up the volume, letting my head fall back against the headrest as "Little Pink Houses" began to play.

Rebekah turned it down slightly and ignored my look of mock outrage as she drove us back home. "I'm gathering from your good mood that tips were plentiful today."

I just gave her a look before pulling out the fat stack of bills from my apron pocket. Her eyes went wide as she cast me a sideways glance. She put her hand out and I slapped it hard, causing both of us to flinch and grab our palms.

"Ouch, bitch!"

"Sorry, I'm a bit overzealous today," I said giggling. "I'm just this much closer to buying things for myself now," I said as I put the money back in my pocket.

"Oh, sweet little Hayley," Rebekah sighed and I promptly rolled my eyes. "I wish you would get over that. Klaus doesn't mind buying you things. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's the only useful thing he feels he's doing at the moment."

I considered this for a second as I gazed out the window and saw two little girls, as they played with the sprinklers in front of their house, both with hair so blonde, it seemed to glitter in the sunlight. I smiled at their incessant giggling and tried to peer back behind me as we passed them up on the neighborhood street.

"I know he wants to, but this is getting weird," I said finally turning back to Rebekah. "Yesterday, he asked me what color BMW I preferred. It's just too much."

She laughed slightly at my words and I just ran a hand down the side of my face, exasperated by just the thought of the conversation.

"_I wish you would stop being so stubborn and just choose a color," he said, clearly frustrated as he gestured around my bedroom as though the BMW of my choice would appear there magically._

"_Stubborn? Do you realize how crazy you sound? You can't just buy me a car, Klaus. You've already paid for my entire wardrobe and my share of whatever astronomical rent this mansion goes for. I flat-out refuse another handout from you."_

"_Is that what you think this is?"_

"_What else could it be?"_

"_I don't know, a peace offering?"_

"_No, Klaus."_

"_Just think about it and-"_

"_No."_

As we pulled up to the house, I was still giddy with excitement and my adrenaline was pumping. I knew the full moon would be out in a few nights and the dreaded fear of it from before was now replaced with a slight longing. It had been over two months since I last shifted and if I said I didn't miss it, I would be lying.

Granted, the actual shifting part had always been painful beyond all belief, but the transition from human to wolf was a manifestation that I had been missing dearly. I never told anyone about it, figuring that a bunch of vampires and witches wouldn't really understand the first thing about being a werewolf. They could never comprehend what it was like to become another species entirely, while still maintaining your inner self. It was a power and a freedom that I had always taken comfort in. I was practically immortal, ageless, fearless. I never considered myself to be an adequate human, but I knew I excelled at being an animal. I was good at being wild and fierce and running as fast as the wind could carry me. My heart ached, as it had for weeks, at the thought of never feeling that way again.

_Just until after the pregnancy. Everything will go back to normal then._

I dismissed my fears as we enjoyed the cool, refreshing breeze of the air conditioning inside the house. A drawn out sigh of relief escaped both of us and my legs immediately carried me to the kitchen, otherwise known as my favorite room of the entire house. As the days ticked by, the symptoms of my pregnancy were taking full effect, starting with my uncontrollable appetite. Or at least that's what it felt like to me.

I was constantly craving food, mostly things that we conveniently didn't have in our own fridge. I was lucky that my roommates were so accommodating about it and ventured to get them for me, considering I couldn't afford to buy a car yet and was too stubborn to take Klaus' generous offer, no matter how many times he gave it. Even so, I knew he wouldn't have let me roam around various convenience stores late at night while the vampires prowled just so I could find my favorite flavor of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

"_Your late night cravings may just be our downfall in this intricate plot," he smiled, brushing his thumb across my cheekbone softly. So softly, I was sure I could have blinked the moment away._

I shivered, still feeling the burn from his fingers touching my skin. It was a gesture he had done only a few times before and each time it took my breath away. Something about the rareness of his touch had me longing for it all the time, even when I didn't realize I was craving it. Days when he would come home after being gone all night with Marcel, his brows furrowed in exhaustion, feet just barely shuffling him forward, and his eyes squinting at me as I moved around the house, trying not to be too obvious about the fact that I woke up early just to see him come home.

Every time it was the same. He would take me in and just barely nod. I would try not to smile too widely and give him his space. He would go up to his room and I would hold my breath until I heard the click of his door shutting close. Then I would finally breathe out and relax.

Somewhere along the line, I realized that my entire day hung in the balance of that single moment when I knew he was home.

I ignored that thought, along with the many others I had about Klaus. It did me no good to think about him the way that I had been lately. I knew I couldn't control the way my body responded to him and even that reaction I had chalked up to hormones. It was an easy alibi and I chose to use it whenever I could.

Otherwise, my paralyzing thoughts about him were managed in the only way I knew how to solve any of my problems. I just kept ignoring them. I knew eventually, that the less time I spent thinking about Klaus, the less I would understand and be encouraged to act on any outlandish ideas. I would continue to treat the issue like I treated my pregnancy. I had no control over the fact but it was now a fixture of my life.

I opened the fridge and grabbed a water bottle, quickly downing half the contents as Rebekah came in with the mail. She set it down on the counter, just as her phone rang. She froze as she stared at the caller ID and I gave her a look of confusion as I swallowed a huge gulp of water. She just kept staring from me to the phone and I went around the counter to see who it was. I gasped.

"Answer it, answer it, answer it," I hissed, jumping up and down slightly.

"I can't," she hissed back and I just rolled my eyes.

"Rebekah, if you don't answer this fucking phone call, so help me," I said threateningly as I held her shoulders and shook her.

She sighed and hit answer before plastering on a huge fake smile and breathing out, "Hey Matt."

My eyes went wide and I made heart shapes with my fingers before she waved me off and ran upstairs. I chuckled to myself and finished off the rest of the water, throwing it in the recycle bin. I was about to answer nature's call when I walked past the mail. Curiosity got the better of me and I decided to bring along some reading material.

I filtered through the various envelopes as I walked upstairs, ignoring the voice of reason telling me that I was being downright nosy. I knew none of these were for me, especially since I had no family, no real friends, and nobody I knew had my current mailing address. I filtered through a few letters addressed to Elijah before a small cream-colored envelope fell from the stack. I sat down on the stairs and picked it up, turning it over in my hands.

_Klaus Mikaelson_

I took in the bubbly handwriting, the return address in Mystic Falls, the high school monogram in the corner of the envelope and my movements stilled. My breathing was becoming heavy as I tried to register what the hell this meant. Why was she writing him now? She clearly had the new address, which meant that they must have kept in contact since he left.

I held the envelop in my hands for a long time, just sitting there on the stairs and looking out the window into the beautiful front porch of our house. My head was devoid of any thoughts, my training in ignorance seeming to pay off. But my heart was heavy and my stomach turned. I shook my head, the wispy hairs around my face brushing against my eyelashes as I stood up, collecting the mail in my hands.

I walked back down the stairs and left the letters on the kitchen counter where they should have been all along and went back to my room.

* * *

I woke up on schedule, peeling the lace curtains back in my room to take in the rosy dawn as I got ready for the day. I still had hours before I had to be at work, but I still primped my hair into some wavy curls and touched my face with mascara, blush, and lip gloss. I looked through my wardrobe at the many clothes Klaus bought for me and picked out a white romper. The fabric was smooth against my skin and exposed my shoulders, showing off the tan I picked up this summer. I still had yet to show as far as a baby bump went and it was nearly impossible to tell just from looking at me that I was a couple of months pregnant.

_Stop trying to look pretty for him. It's pathetic._

I shook my head again at my desperation, a guilty tick I seemed to have developed every time I thought about Klaus. Not only was I trying to shake away the thoughts, but I was also trying to shake away the shame of having those thoughts in the first place. All of this was so unlike me.

I took one last look in the mirror before sighing and deciding to ignore the slight dark circles under my eyes. I had barely slept the night before as bubbly letters spelling out his name and cream-colored envelopes haunted my dreams. I slipped on some sandals and headed downstairs.

It was still just barely morning outside but I decided to open the curtains around the house anyway. The pinkish hue of the dawn was quickly becoming my favorite color and I loved to be surrounded by it when nobody else was around. It was like a secret that only I shared with the cosmos and each morning, I took solace in that simple fact.

As I climbed up on one of the couches to better move a stubborn curtain, I felt my foot slip against the fabric of the couch and just when I was about to topple over, strong arms held me up. I gasped as it hit me that I wasn't going to fall and leaned back against his smooth chest in relief, his earthy smell encompassing me.

"Why is it that you seem to always be getting into trouble, little wolf?"

His breath fanned out against the side of my face, causing me to shut my eyes tightly. I turned around in his arms and put some distance between us for the sake of my own beating heart. He seemed tired as he always did when he came home, his eyes slightly narrowed, dark circles matching my own. His own musky smell was fused with the scent of whiskey, smoke, and perfume. I tried not to think about the things he did last night or the things he did every night while he tried to get closer to Marcel. In the end, I knew none of it mattered anyway. I had no claim on him.

"I'm a lot clumsier now than I was before," I answered, hoping my excuse didn't sound too lame. "When I was able to shift, my reflexes weren't this awful, I assure you."

"I'm sure," he said smiling. I didn't miss the mocking tone in his voice or the way his eyebrows rose up too high to be considered serious. I mimicked his expression and crossed my hands in front of me, cocking my hip. He grinned at me widely and I tried not to act like a preteen fangirl.

"So how was your stakeout last night?" I asked changing the subject. "Have you successfully infiltrated the fascist vampire army by drinking and partying your way into Marcel's trust circle yet?" I raised a fist in front of me mockingly as I spoke.

He still had that grin on his face as he shook his head at me lightly. I was unprepared as he took a step closer to me and looked me directly in the eyes. My breath hitched.

"Don't you know, love?" he whispered discreetly. "I practically invented drinking and partying."

I laughed out loud, ignoring his claims. Instead, I took a step toward him as well and raised my hand to his face, brushing my thumb just underneath his eyes. His expression softened at my touch, his eyes closing of their own accord and I may have been making it up, but I could have sworn he leaned into my fingers.

"For someone who's such an expert, you seem pretty worn out to me," my reply was much softer than I anticipated it being. Something about touching him or the way he was looking at me or the way my fingers ached to stay where they were, it all made me weaker than I realized.

I pulled back and stepped away, once again putting some much needed distance between us. I saw his gaze drop to the floor slightly and before I could process anything else, I was already speaking again.

"I think there's some mail for you in the kitchen," I rushed out quickly. "It came in yesterday."

He looked up at me and nodded slightly. He held my gaze for just a moment longer before walking away. I let out the breath I didn't realize I had been holding and tried not to beat myself up inwardly about how I approached the situation. My heart was beating faster just thinking about his reaction to the letter and my body seemed paralyzed. I slumped down in the couch behind me and focused on emptying my mind again.

I don't know how long I stared at the corner of the bear skin rug by my feet, but soon he was walking toward the front door again. I stood up immediately, taking a few steps toward him as he slowed down, his back still toward me. I saw the cream-colored envelope hanging from his fingertips, the seal torn and the card now out of its perfect packaging. I tried to take deep breaths.

"Where are you going."

It wasn't so much a question as it was an accusation, my words barely registering above a small whisper. I knew he heard me though, as his shoulders tensed up underneath his white thermal shirt, the muscles there taut and unyielding. Moments passed before he finally answered me, still turned around.

"I have some business to take care of in Mystic Falls," his voice was hoarse and somehow sounded remorseful.

I tried not to think about any of it. His willingness to go after Caroline no matter what the cost or how no matter what happened between our new family, she would always be able to get him to move mountains for her. I didn't want to think about how he offered to buy me a car when he didn't hold any feelings for me. I could only imagine the things he had promised her.

"Oh," I finally answered lamely. "How long will you be gone?"

I didn't know how much authority I had to be questioning him, but our previous interactions had led me to believe that he wouldn't take my questions in offense. I was even starting to think that we had become...friends. If not actual friends, then at least friendly roommates.

I saw his jaw clench at my question and he turned his head to the side slightly to look out the window next to the big oak door. It was like he was contemplating something, maybe whether or not he would tell me the truth. A long and unbearable silence passed between my question and his answer, making me think that he wasn't going to offer one at all.

"I don't know," he finally admitted, turning his head back to face the door. "I'll be back as soon as my affairs are settled."

Then he opened the door and stepped out, blinding me with the orange morning light for just a moment before he was gone completely. I could do nothing, couldn't move my legs, couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. I just closed my eyes tightly as I heard his engine purr and the sound of the gravel crunching beneath his tires as he drove away.

Eventually the sound of him leaving was also gone and all that was left was the silent morning to keep me company.

I stood by the front door until Rebekah woke up hours later and asked me if Klaus had come home yet.

"He did," I answered hoarsely, my eyes barely meeting hers. "But he's gone now."


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Loving the reviews. Thank you all.

* * *

_Roll, fold, stack._

_Roll, fold, stack._

_Roll, fold, stack._

The tips of my fingers were getting dry and scratchy from the napkins but I was relentless. It was a slow day at the restaurant, mainly due to the sweltering heat and I was grateful for any distraction. Most of our patrons were either lounging by some body of water or gearing up for the Fourth of July. Either way, it summed up a pretty boring day with hardly any opportunities for major tip-making.

"She's like a drone."

"I know, I'm almost concerned at how hard she's working."

"Yo! Hayley!"

The sound of someone yelling my name shook me away from the napkins I was so intently focused on. I looked over at Kai who was sitting next to me with her elbow propped on the bar and her head resting in her hands, a look of bewilderment gracing her face as she stared at me. I then glanced over at Sophie in the kitchen who was giving me an equally interested look, her arm just barely stirring the soup of the day.

I looked at them back and forth and finally realized my passive aggressive work ethic had drawn an audience.

"What?" I finally asked.

"You're acting weird again," Sophie replied easily.

I just sighed and continued folding the little white napkins into perfect pocket squares, each one alleviating my restless hands.

"I'm not acting weird," I mumbled, keeping my gaze focused in front of me.

"Sophie and I voted and you lost," Kai said. "Survey says you're acting weird."

I just gave her a heated look and turned toward Sophie.

"Do you ever think about charging her rent around here? She seems to never want to leave," I asked haughtily. Kai just scoffed next to me.

"Okay, I'm going to ignore that in light of recent events," she said pointedly. "And because I know those are your crazy hormones talking."

I sighed heavily and dropped the napkin I had been struggling with. I covered my face in my hands, resting my elbows on the counter in front of me and tried to breathe deeply. Every single emotion inside me was at high volume, making every situation seem nearly life or death no matter how miniscule it actually was.

When I was frustrated, I just felt a desperate helplessness wash over me.

When I was angry, smoke seemed to come out of my ears, making my entire body feverish.

When I was happy, it was like every single breeze and ray of sunshine was created just for me.

And when I was sad, like I had been lately, I felt like I was just disappearing into thin air.

It had been over a week since Klaus left for Caroline's graduation ceremony and there was little indication that he had plans to come back anytime soon. The mansion somehow felt infinitely larger without him and there were days that I felt like it might swallow me up whole. I often wandered around the house in the early mornings just grazing my fingers against the curtains as I drifted aimlessly, searching for him outside the big, open windows of the house he promised we would share together.

It was silly, really. He was barely ever home to begin with and the times when he was, he usually kept to himself. I left him to his own devices and the entire arrangement worked perfectly for me. It was just the knowing he was there part that really made the difference. Despite being so close to the other people in my life now – Rebekah, Elijah, Sophie, and Kai – I still felt a distinct connection with Klaus that I wasn't able to find anywhere else. I knew deep down that he was the only one who felt the enormity of my own guilt, shame, fear, and valiance about the life we ignorantly created. Now that he was gone, the weight of my carelessness was falling on me like bricks.

I was absolutely terrified and I didn't know what the hell to do about it.

I suppose it hadn't gone unnoticed by anyone that my mood had changed drastically, but I still refused to acknowledge it myself. This was a weakness unlike any I had ever shown to even my closest allies and the thought of admitting my fears out loud seemed impossible. I already knew what I felt, but putting it into words was a whole different matter.

Rebekah was probably the one person that was able to pick up on everything pretty quickly. When she found me waiting by the door the morning that Klaus walked away, she must have known that I wasn't okay, that I probably wouldn't be okay for a while.

_My eyes were still glued to the door, as if what transpired just hours ago wasn't real at all. He had changed so much, made such an effort. He was the one that chased me back here. He wouldn't just leave.  
_

_I barely felt Rebekah take my hand in hers, my own body feeling foreign to me. She wrapped her arm around my shoulders and led me to the sofa in the living room, but instead of sitting next to me, she crouched down in front of me, exactly eye-level. _

"_Hayley, where did my brother go," she asked me softly._

_I stared back into her blue eyes, nearly translucent from the gleam of sunlight cascading in through the windows. Something about the concern I saw there made me come back down to earth. I couldn't be a whimpering mess, especially when I had no claim over Klaus. We had never discussed the nature of our relationship and it went without saying that he was free to come and go as he pleased. Though my insides ached at the thought of him leaving, in all honesty, I had no right to feel that way._

"_Mystic Falls," I finally answered, straightening up in my seat and refocusing my eyes on her, hoping that I seemed more assured._

_She scrunched up her face in both shock and anger and suddenly she was standing up so fast that I had to crane my neck to see her. Her lips were pursed, her nostrils slightly flaring, a tell-tale sign that Rebekah was royally pissed._

"_Why in the world did he go back there?"_

_Not knowing how to answer this without sounding like I was accusing him of some type of wrongdoing, I just looked down at my hands and considered my options. Just when I was about to tell her that I had no idea, she was already sitting next to me, her gaze so intense that I was certain she was trying to read me like a book._

"_Don't even think about lying to me, Hayley. You know something don't you?"_

"_I don't-"_

"_Hayley."_

_I sighed heavily and gave her a desperate look that begged her to keep a lid on her reaction. She just raised her eyebrows in impatience and crossed her arms in front of her._

"_There was a letter in the mail addressed to him that came from Mystic Falls," I finally replied._

"_And?"_

"_And...the return address had the high school monogram on it..."_

_She put her hand up right then to stop me and looked out the window for a moment, before her face broke out into a grin. Then she was lightly laughing, so low that it almost sounded like a threat._

"_He went to go see Caroline, didn't he?" _

_She still wasn't looking at me and I couldn't find the words to admit to her that she was right. So we just sat there in silence as the dawn became the day. She offered no words of comfort, no chicks-before-dicks speech, no empty promises that everything would be okay. _

_She just held my hand and shared the burden of it all with me._

I removed my hands from my face and shook the thoughts away as I turned back to Kai. Her eyes were so sympathetic that I had to blink back a few stray tears. She always had an uncanny ability to bring forth every emotion I was feeling, no matter how hard I tried to lock them up.

"I'm sorry," I choked out, my apology barely a whisper.

She stood up and wrapped her arms around me, enveloping me in a side hug that I didn't even know I wanted until it was happening. I fell into her and didn't think about how it made me look, because by now, there was no point hiding my anxiety.

"Don't be," she said back. "You've done nothing wrong. One of these days, he's going to realize what a colossal mistake he made by going back there."

I didn't say anything as I considered this. Would he ever truly regret leaving? Or did he go back to Mystic Falls, only to find that Caroline was waiting there for him with open arms? I tried to ignore the way my lungs seemed to stop working at the thought of that. If they did end up together, where would that leave me? Where would that leave the baby?

Sophie came walking over to us, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. She leaned against the opposite side of the bar from us and gave me a wink.

"Go on, take the rest of the day off," she said nodding her head towards the door.

"I don't need to go home, I'm fi-"

"Hayley, if you say you're fine one more time, I will fire you," she said, cutting me off.

I sighed deeply as Kai took me by the elbow and offered to drive me back home. My stomach churned just thinking about going back to that big empty house. Rebekah had taken up some volunteer work for the local animal shelter, claiming that she needed something to occupy her time besides shopping. Not only did she get to come and go as she pleased, but she got to play with puppies and kittens all day and help them find loving human homes. It was perfectly ideal, but it also meant that we only really saw each other during dinner. I found myself wishing she would always be there like before to greet me and keep me company.

As for Elijah, he was now taking the place of Klaus during all of Marcel's nightly activities. The whole charade really didn't suit him at all and it was clear to see that the hoopla was testing his patience. Regardless, it was nothing compared to the disappointment I saw in his face when he found out that Klaus had gone back to Mystic Falls.

"_What do you mean he left?"_

"_Just what I said, Elijah," Rebekah said, ruefully. "He left this morning to attend Caroline Forbes' graduation. Indefinitely."_

_Elijah just took his hands out of his pant pockets and seemed to hesitate for a moment before sitting down next to Rebekah on the couch. Although there wasn't any fire in the fireplace tonight, I still stared into it and imagined the burning embers from the night Klaus made me promise to tell him everything. The way his eyes flamed, how angry he was just thinking about any harm coming to me. It was like a different time and place completely, not the same room I was sitting in now._

"_Niklaus," Elijah breathed out loud, seemingly to himself._

"_Elijah, you have to talk to him. You know how Nik gets," Rebekah said hurriedly. "You're the only one that can talk sense into him. You convinced him once that New Orleans was the right place for all of us. Now, you'll have to do it again."_

_He didn't say anything for a while, just idly brushing his thumb and forefinger against his chin in deep thought. He finally stood up and pulled his phone out of his pocket, dialing his brother's number. Rebekah took me by the arm and ushered me out of the room._

"_Come on, let's get to bed," she said. "It's been too long of a day and Elijah can handle Klaus' tonight."_

_I nodded, allowing her to lead me for a while before the curiosity of Elijah's phone call just got the better of me. So I made some excuse about a late night craving that she seemed to believe and told her I would be up soon. She just rolled her eyes and smiled at me as she went upstairs._

_I retraced my steps back to the parlor where Elijah was leaning against the fireplace, one hand holding his phone and the other rubbing his forehead in frustration. I stood near the shadows and listened in on his side of the conversation._

"_Niklaus, I'm begging you, as your brother, your family, do not make the mistake of believing Mystic Falls will save you."_

_Silence._

"_You are wrong. You are so terribly wrong. You have a child on the way," he hissed lowly. "Or have you forgotten?"_

_Silence. Then a heavy sigh._

"_That is not what I'm saying, brother. Do not twist my words. I'm telling you that you have a responsibility here in New Orleans, at home where you belong, where you've promised to stay."_

_Silence._

_"What about Marcel? And what about Hayley? You've left the mother of your child here so you can gallivant around with a high school graduate."_

_Silence._

"_Niklaus, your infatuation with that girl will only lead to heartache. She has never loved you and will never love you. There will never be a day where she chooses you over the Lockwood boy. When will you let this obsession go?"_

_Silence. Then he was up faster than I could blink, his finger pointing as he spoke with much more vigor._

"_No, I'm done listening to you. You listen to me now. If there is even the slightest chance on this earth that you feel a resemblance of compassion for the woman you've burdened to impregnate, you will be back here tomorrow night. If not, you are choosing to continue down this path of self-destruction and isolation, and even I won't be there to pick up the pieces of your broken life when you've succeeded in ruining it."_

_With that he hung up and threw his phone against the wall, shattering it into a million pieces and making me jump back at the sound. I put a hand over my mouth, trying to contain a gasp and also trying to contain the sob that was threatening to tear its way through my chest._

_The next night, Klaus hadn't shown up and I begrudgingly had my answer._

By the time Kai dropped me off, the events of the past few months were swimming through my head at rapid fire, each revelation more disheartening than the last.

Coming to New Orleans to find my biological parents only to find out I was pregnant.

Telling Klaus he was the father and hearing him offer me and our baby up as sacrificial kills.

Running away and almost dying only to be dragged back into captivity.

Being promised a family, a home, a new life and then having it ripped away by Caroline Forbes' bubbly handwriting.

My feat dragged as I walked upstairs, peeling my clothes off as I went. I knew no one was home because no one was ever home anymore. This house was a ghost mansion that haunted me nightly as electric green eyes, blazing and fierce, meandered through my dreams and kept me awake. Sometimes when the house was eerily quiet like this, I could easily imagine his cackling laughter echoing throughout the empty rooms, memories of his devilish grin making me squirm. I felt like I was slowly losing my mind.

I decided to soak in a hot bath somewhere along the way and got everything ready, testing the water absentmindedly. I didn't bother putting my hair up and just got in, the steam from the water nearly scorching my skin but I barely noticed. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back. It took every ounce of focus I had to get rid of my worries lately and for someone who rarely ever got flustered, I was officially stressed the fuck out.

My mind slowly turned off as my thoughts drifted into memories, until I wasn't sure what was real or made up anymore.

"_Do you wanna know why I liked that painting?"_

_He turned around, ready to defend himself against another one of my sarcastic attacks._

"_Well, perhaps because it allowed you to see into my deep, wounded soul."_

_I put my glass down and walked toward him, feeling so brave. I had liquid courage running through my veins and from my previous encounters with men, it wasn't too difficult to get what you wanted if you played the seduction cards right. _

_In this case, I wasn't really sure what I wanted aside from him. Who exactly had the upper hand here?_

"_I saw how twisted it really is," I admitted. "And maybe I can relate."_

_I hadn't meant to say the truth, but when it came out I knew there was no denying it. I felt a connection to that ominous painting almost immediately. The lone figure by the moon reminded me of a pain so personal that it almost hurt to see it and making a snide remark seemed much easier. _

_He stared at me for a moment, speculating if my words were honest or not. I kept my gaze steady until he began walking toward me. My heart fluttered, sped up, skipped a beat, all of it. I didn't realize I wanted this so badly until he looked at me the way he was looking at me right now._

"_So what's it going to be? Going," he paused right in front of me, his voice so guttural, it went straight to my core."Or staying."_

_He was so close and his smell was everywhere so I breathed it in. I could see the various golden specs in his eyes and I was entranced by the intensity behind them as he looked at me. The alcohol had completely diminished my inhibitions so I didn't bother hiding what I wanted. I had never been much of a promiscuous girl, mostly because of my off-the-charts trust issues. I had been with a few guys in moments of weakness, but even then, I had never felt as willing as I was now. I knew there was no going back after that realization hit me.  
_

"_You like to be in control," I stood up on my tiptoes and whispered huskily in his ear. "You tell me."_

_He looked at me as though considering my offer. He brushed his knuckles softly against my face and I closed my eyes in relief of feeling his touch. I looked up at him from beneath my lashes and bit my lip, waiting, hoping that he would take this further. _

_There was a slight smile playing at his lips, before he suddenly grabbed my hips, pulling me flush against him. I gasped as he nearly growled in hunger, eying my lips like a lion going after a gazelle. I just grinned back at him like a fool because this was exactly how I wanted it. _

_Then his lips were on mine, ferocious and needing. I could barely breathe as I kissed him back with just as much enthusiasm, my hand cupping his face and holding him against me. My body was already buzzing from the alcohol, but now it seemed to be ablaze. Although the pleasure in it was abundant, the desperation, longing, and hoping left me unprepared. In some ways, it made it that much hotter, that much more taboo, and I soon found that the slight pain of it all added to its perfection._

_I was already addicted to this feeling of being immersed in him and I needed more. I frantically grabbed at his shirt, helping him pull it off and over his head. I was drowning in his scent as I feasted my eyes on his lean, alabaster skin. Broad shoulders, tall frame, slight muscles, and tattoos like a rock was little time for appreciation as he continued to kiss me, his lips warm and pressing against my own. Open mouthed and hot, his tongue tracing over my lips and into my mouth. I may have gasped, but that would imply that I was even breathing in the first place._

_He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist, still kissing him relentlessly. I kept my hand steady on his face, wanting him closer still. With the speed of a vampire, he quickly set me down on a table, staying in between my open legs. I pulled my floral shirt off with his help and before it even hit the ground, his hands were all over me. His mouth immediately found my neck, making my eyes roll back in my head. _

_The need was overwhelming me and I suddenly realized that my bravery in this was unwarranted. I should have been terrified of him because sex with Klaus Mikaelson was not an ordinary, run-of-the-mill hook-up. I was his prey and he was absolutely ravenous._

_I was on my back before I knew it, his large hand holding me down, brushing against my bra-covered breast. I couldn't help but moan at the feeling of his hands on my body as he stared at me, laying there panting and waiting for him. His dark gaze drifted over me and I saw his jaw clench, the gesture making me wetter than I already was. He slowly dragged his hand down my stomach toward the front of my jeans, causing me to arch my back against his touch. I heard him groan before he climbed on top of me. _

_My chest was still heaving as I looked up at him. He had an expression of wonderment cross his features as his eyes flickered all over my face, his breathing nearly as heavy as my own. How funny, I thought, since vampires apparently don't breathe. Then he dove in for my neck again and any other thought I might have had aside from the feeling of his hot mouth against my pulse went out the window. I couldn't contain the smile on my face as he continued to suck, kiss, and torment me into oblivion. I was beyond trying to stop moaning and gasping. _

_He brought his long fingers to intersect with mine as he held both of our hands above my head, his body completely flush against mine. I was completely dominated by him and I loved it._

I shivered as I tried to push away the mental images of that night. It wasn't easy to do and it seemed to always be in the back of my mind somewhere, whether I was sleeping or working or even bathing. Still, I couldn't deny the effect it always had on my body. I squeezed my thighs together in the now mildly hot bath, wanting to relieve the pressure that fantasizing about Klaus always brought on. I bit my lip and brought my fingers down to my center, deciding that some personal satisfaction wouldn't hurt my stress levels lately.

My thoughts immediately went back to that night and I wasn't surprised to find myself sufficiently wet. Maybe a little too wet. I opened my lidded eyes and looked down at the water.

Pink.

I quickly brought my fingers up to examine them.

Red.

I sat up immediately and kept checking to make sure my hormonal brain wasn't making this up. But my fingers were covered in it and then the realization hit me.

I screamed.


	9. Chapter 9

_Red._

_I sat up immediately and kept checking to make sure my hormonal brain wasn't making this up. But my fingers were covered in it and then the realization hit me. _

_I screamed._

I could barely recognize the blood curdling screech as my own, when Elijah was suddenly knocking down the bathroom door, his face aghast.

"Hayley," he started before his eyes fell to my red fingers.

They widened before a resolute look fell upon him.

He swiftly grabbed a towel and helped me out of the tub, averting his eyes. I was still too paralyzed from fear to speak. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Once I was tightly secured in the towel, I was immediately lifted into his arms and faster than I could blink, we were in the car.

I was still shaking as I tried to clench my legs together, anything to stop the bleeding. I glanced down at my thighs and was relieved to see that there wasn't any blood still trickling down my legs.

_Please be a false alarm._

Elijah still hadn't spoken a word since we left and I knew deep down it was because he was absolutely terrified. Despite his control and calm, there was a hurricane brewing inside him, just like there was in me. The only difference was he was better at hiding it.

Without taking his eyes of the road, he hit a number on speed dial as he gunned it to 90 driving down the deserted streets. It was a late night and the rowdy vampires were likely out by the square, partying into oblivion. Taking the outskirts around town was a necessity.

"Sophie, there's been a problem," he said cryptically into the phone. "We need you to see Hayley right away."

There was a brief pause and then, "No, it can't wait."

* * *

I was all too aware of the drafty breeze inside the chamber walls while I was still scantily clad in my towel. I wrapped my arms around my body protectively and tried not to think about the fact that Sophie was presently inspecting my nether regions.

"Well, it doesn't look like it was caused by any contusions or tearing," she said, her gaze still fixated down there. "And the bleeding seemed to have stopped, but we really can't be too sure about anything without consulting an actual doctor."

She helped me sit up and secure the towel around my lower half once more. I shivered and nodded at her as she went to grab me a coat. It was a ridiculous thing to wear in the dead of summer, but considering my present state, I was grateful for any way to cover up.

"I need to know that the baby's okay," I finally muttered. "God, I haven't even had an actual ultra sound yet. How irresponsible is that?"

Sophie stood in front of me with her hands on my shoulders, forcing me to look her in the eyes. She had a cold, hard gaze about her, a finality that wouldn't be argued.

"Don't go blaming yourself for things that aren't your fault," she warned. "That's probably how you got yourself in this state in the first place. Breathe, Hayley. Relax."

She then proceeded to demonstrate a heavy breathing pattern which I tried to mimic, but the deep breaths just came out as shallow gasps. It felt like there was something sitting on my chest, compressing my oxygen levels and making me hyperventilate with anxiety. I couldn't stop the feelings of guilt and inadequacy, worry and tension.

"Sophie," I said. "Take me to a doctor. Now."

Her eyes drifted between mine, considering it for a moment before she finally nodded with pursed lips. She left the room for a few seconds and came back with a worried-looking Elijah. He took a few strides closer to me, trying to read my face for information. I tried to reassure him, but found it impossible when I was so completely unsure myself. I was a mess.

"She needs to see a doctor, Elijah," Sophie said softly as she stood by the chamber walls. "The bleeding stopped, but I'm not an expert on any of this. We'll probably need to get an ultra sound done to figure out what's going on with the baby."

My eyes shut at all the horrible possibilities, all the ways that this situation had the potential to ruin me. If something went wrong, I was almost certain that I wouldn't make it out of this one alive. Life would not even be worth living, I decided morbidly.

Elijah was silent, still gazing at me in that same worried expression and it was enough to make me want to run away and hide. As far back as I could remember, there wasn't a single person in my life that seemed to look out for me the way that he did. I didn't even know if I deserved any of it.

"Is there any chance that something..._unnatural_...might show up in the ultra sound?" Elijah asked as he slowly turned to his side to face Sophie.

She threw her arms out and gave a look of surrender.

"I have no idea, my friend," she sighed. "But there's only one way to find out and even if something magical does show up, Hayley still needs that ultra sound."

Elijah paced back and forth for a while as I tried not to contemplate my life without this pregnancy. It had been so long since I had felt normal, since I assumed any other role besides that of a wandering nomad, that this turn of events had me thinking life could be sustainable again. I was actually starting to hope for a new role, a new way out of the miserable loneliness I had suffered my entire life. The possibility of it being taken away shook me to my core.

_Klaus is already gone. Is my baby going to leave me, too?_

"There is someone who might be able to help us," Elijah finally said, breaking the thick silence.

"Who?" I asked.

"Dr. Meredith Fellows."

My mouth opened slightly of its own accord. I tried not to gape at him, but the suggestion was absurd at best.

"Mystic Falls," I scoffed, raising my eyebrows. "You want me to go chase Klaus back to Mystic Falls?"

"No," Elijah answered politely. "I want you to accompany my sister and I to Mystic Falls so that we may secure an appointment for an ultra sound with Dr. Fellows. She is, after all, accustomed to the supernatural and may very well be a magnificent asset in our current situation."

I tried not to roll my eyes at his proclivity at magnetism and reasoning. What was the point in arguing with somebody when they were so well-spoken that they could gently hush you under a table? It was near maddening.

"Okay, she's down with the weird, I'll give you that," I retorted. "But, who's to say she can be trusted? What if she goes and blabs her mouth to the whole town? Weren't you guys the ones who were so gung-ho about keeping things top secret?"

He considered this with a smile.

"I suppose you're right," he replied. "We can't be sure of her intentions, but I'll do what I can to secure her confidentiality. The most important thing right now is for you to see a doctor."

I saw Sophie nod her head from behind him and I sighed in consent, nodding mine in return.

"One more question," Sophie interrupted. "If she goes to see this Dr. Fellows, does that mean that every ultra sound from here on out will have to administered by her? 'Cause that is quite a drive..."

I looked at Elijah expectantly, trying not to seem too much like a petulant child. It was more difficult than I thought. He just sighed deeply and shook his head.

"I don't know," he confessed. "We'll figure it out along the way, I suppose."

And something in the honesty of his reply made me smile, a real genuine smile. He didn't know and neither did anyone else. I wasn't sure why that thought was such a relief but for some reason, it just was.

Just then, Rebekah's blonde locks blurred into the chamber at vampire speed, stopping directly in front of me, making my head spin slightly from the vertigo.

"I'm here!" she announced, grabbing me by the shoulders. "Oh my God, Hayley, what the hell happened? I'm going to kill Nik, I promise you. I'll kill him!"

Elijah removed Rebekah's death grip on me and eased her back.

"No need for all that right now," he said pleasantly, as always. "You can have your chance at him when we visit Mystic Falls."

She whipped around so quickly, her long ponytail nearly slapped me in the face.

"Mystic Falls?" she asked him nervously. "Why on earth would we go back there?"

"Because dear sister," Elijah answered as he buttoned up his blazer. "Hayley needs to get properly evaluated by a medical professional, not by the likes of witches and vampires. No offense," he said turning to Sophie.

"None taken," she answered back with a smile.

Rebekah just huffed and crossed her arms, making me grin in amusement. As much as I dreaded running into Klaus in Mystic Falls, I knew Rebekah was even less thrilled to be back in that wretched town. Despite her puppy love crush on Matt, it took a while for her to be convinced to move her life to New Orleans. I knew it wouldn't be easy for her to move backwards, even if it was for just a day.

"All right," she finally relented. "I suppose the fact that you've asked me to pack some essentials means that we'll be leaving tonight?"

"You thought right," he answered, motioning for me to get dressed.

Rebekah took some clothes out of her purse and allowed Sophie to lead the way into the dressing chamber where I could finally make myself appear decent. I was grateful when they took warm sponges to wipe away all of the dried blood still sticking to my skin before I was covered in comfortable yoga pants and a white tank top. I borrowed the jacket from Sophie and before long, Elijah, Rebekah and I were hitting the road in her fancy black Porsche.

"So how long is this drive going to be?" I asked from the backseat.

The plains rolled passed us like pictures in a slide show, reminding me of all the times I had run before and of all the times I feared I would run again. There was something dangerous about the freedom of the open road, of a wide expanse of possibility that could lead you anywhere and nowhere at the same time.

"Five hours," Rebekah grumbled, putting on her sunglasses even though it was hours before the sun would be up. "Give or take."

"Great."

* * *

"Do you really think you look incognito in that?"

I just stopped in the middle of the hospital hallway and glared at her from behind my sunglasses. I had my jacket hood over my head and my arms wrapped so tightly around myself that I looked like the hunchback of Notre Dame.

"I am trying to maintain some semblance of privacy," I hissed at her, walking forward again.

I heard her chuckle behind me and tried to distance myself from her attention-seeking behavior. I'd be damned if anybody in this town found out I came back here, especially for an ultra sound. No way that was happening.

I finally reached the door marked Dr. Fellows and knocked incessantly. After a while, the petite brunette doctor appeared with a disturbed look on her face. She took in my appearance and her eyebrows nearly reached her hairline in amusement. I rolled my eyes but knew she wouldn't be able to see it.

"I'm assuming you're Hayley," she scoffed. "Geez, knock much? Come on in," she gestured me inside her office.

I sat at the chair on the opposite side of her desk and only when I heard her door click shut did I remove my sunglasses and hood. She sat down across from me and put her hands out in front of her desk, clasping them together and resting her weight on her elbows, a slight smile etching her lips.

"So, what can I do for you today?"

I took a deep breath.

"I need an ultra sound."

She was quiet for a few seconds before hesitantly responding.

"Oh," she said lamely. "I didn't realize when Elijah called that you were pregnant. Is it his...or...is that even possible..."

I waved my arms, cutting her off, stopping her from finishing her ridiculous accusation.

"No, of course not," I snapped. "The fact is, it doesn't matter who did this to me, can you help me or not?"

"Of course," she backtracked. "I just assumed this was a situation where..._supernatural_ factors may have been involved."

I tried to configure if she had an actual understanding of the situation or if she was just bluffing. She seemed to be either genuinely concerned or just plain interested. I couldn't be sure.

"Look doc," I said finally, leaning forward to meet her gaze. "I need to know that you have a code of ethics that you live by. You know, some sort of doctor-patient confidentiality agreement so I don't have to worry about more gossip spreading around this freaky little town. Catch my drift?"

She nodded and closed her eyes in understanding, motioning zipping up her lips and throwing away the key.

"Yeah, that's cute and everything, but I need to hear you say it," I insisted, folding my arms across my chest and sitting back.

"Hayley, I swear to you I won't betray your trust," she said sincerely. "Anything that you say or do here will not leave this room."

I sat back, somewhat reassured and decided not to prolong the inevitable. The sooner we got the hell out of Mystic Falls, the better.

"So...about that ultra sound," I said, fiddling my fingers.

"Right," Dr. Fellows got up from her seat and held the door open for me. "Come with me," she motioned for me to follow her.

I quickly threw on my sunglasses and hood again and tried to ninja my way down the hall with her. She seemed amused as she stared at me from her peripheral.

"You know you look more noticeable trying to hide yourself, right?"

"Thanks a lot, but I'm pretty sure you don't have a degree in camouflage," I retorted.

* * *

As I walked down the hallway to meet Rebekah and Elijah, I couldn't stop staring at the blurry black and white photograph in my hands. It seemed surreal that this blob of an image, this barely recognizable life form was somehow my own, that I had a part in creating him or her.

A shiver ran down my spine at the thought.

_Him or her._

In just a few short months I would find out for sure and the thought both horrified me and excited me to no end. I barely had real parents long enough to understand the discerning relationship between a mother and a child so I never envisioned a life where I would be one myself. But now, gazing at this picture, I was mystified by my own reasoning to never realize this very moment. If life had gone on the way it had been for me, this miraculous thing, unexpected and trying, rewarding and astonishing, this would not be happening. Somehow I felt grateful that it had.

"Hayley!"

My head snapped up at Rebekah's voice and I was immediately met with electric green eyes, deep and piercing. As if on cue, my breathing became shallow and unnatural.

I stood there, frozen in the middle of the hallway, under endless hallways of fluorescent lights and I just stared at him. It was unfair how incredibly beautiful he was, no matter what condition I saw him in. I could be terrified, hurt, angry, excited, joyful, anything and I was always paralyzed by him. I was revolted with myself, but I had no control to stop it.

He had stood up as soon as he saw me but now he was coming closer. So much closer and my eyes widened as the distance between us closed and he was right in front of me. His lips pursed, jaw clenched, eyes wandering all over my face, my body, everywhere, almost as though he didn't know where to begin, like I was broken all over.

I kept my gaze steady on his eyes, unwavering, trying so hard not to cry because I had already convinced myself days ago that I would never see him again.

At the same time, there was a deep shame buried inside of me, full of contrite guilt at wanting him so desperately when I knew I had no right to.

"Hayley...I'm...I..." he stammered, his unyielding green eyes holding me still like an anchor in a stormy sea.

He was struggling. To find something to say, to fix me, to fix the situation, maybe even to fix his own life, but there were no words or reassurances to make this go away. He was stuck with me in a way that I didn't feel stuck with him. While I had somehow found a way to attach myself to his future, I could see in his eyes now that he had been struggling to find an escape route, some way to make his life his own again.

And even though I wanted to hate him for it, I couldn't. Because somewhere deep down, I knew that if I was in his position, I would've run away a long time ago. I couldn't fault him just because I happened to have a predisposition to carry a child and he didn't.

While we stood there, silently trying to help each other find a freedom that seemed to have disappeared a long time ago, Rebekah finally interrupted our reunion.

"Elijah called him here. I think maybe you two should talk privately," she said quietly. "There's a small courtyard outside that's pretty empty right now."

He hadn't taken his eyes away from mine, but he nodded slightly and stood aside, waiting for me to lead the way. It took me a moment before I could break his gaze, but then I was walking toward the clear glass door. The sun hit my skin in a glorious way and I was relieved that I had decided against wearing my jacket after the ultra sound. I did, however, miss the sunglasses.

There was a secluded bench underneath a picturesque tree with purple flowers blooming all over it and whisking away in the breeze. I led us to it and sat down, watching him as he sat next to me. Once again I was comforted by his heady scent as I tried not to focus on how sexy he looked in his dark blue jeans and plain black shirt. He was perfect.

"So did you finish settling your affairs yet," I asked, focusing on my fingernails, too afraid of his answer to look at him but still too curious not to ask.

I could feel his eyes on me and it made me buzz all over, warm and easy. I wanted to sit outside here with him forever, even if it meant that nothing got resolved and he still wanted to find some way out of this. Just being here with him now was the best I'd felt in days.

"I did," he answered softly, sincerely.

My eyes darted to his and he turned his whole body toward me, putting one hand behind us to rest against the back of a table. He was so close and if I had less sense I would've moved closer to him and molded myself against his side, maybe even rested my head in that crook between his neck and shoulder. I would breathe him in, hold him to me for as long as I could. I wanted to do all these things but it seemed out of place. It seemed inappropriate.

"Does that mean you're coming back to New Orleans?" I asked, trying not to sound as hopeful as I felt.

He smiled at me, but there was an emptiness there. I knew all of his smiles at this point. The grins, the cackles, the amusements. I had seen them all in the few months that we lived together and I had only seen this one when he was forced to be patient or do something he didn't want to do.

"Yes," he mused. "I'm coming back home. I should have been there, Hayley. I can't tell you how sorry I am."

I didn't say anything but just kept my eyes on him, afraid that if this conversation ended then he would still disappear again somehow.

He seemed to consider his next words carefully and he wasn't looking at me anymore, but straight ahead. I could see his jaw clenching and ticking with every second that passed.

"Do you want to know why I came back," he asked quietly.

I looked away from him, focusing on my hands once again. A stupid nervous habit that seemed to give me away every time.

"It's-" I cleared my throat. "It's none of my business."

He laughed humorlessly, shaking his head but still not looking at me. He was amused, in the same way a king is amused by a jester. The absurdity of life was always comical in the grand scheme of things.

"Of course it is," he insisted. "How could it not be? I left you pregnant and alone-"

"I wasn't alone," I corrected him. "Elijah and Rebekah have been wonderful roommates."

"Hayley," he finally turned his head to look at me, his eyes reproaching me scornfully. "There must be a piece of you that is angry with me for leaving. Maybe even a very large piece that you're afraid to show me."

His voice was low, guttural, so incredibly sexy and scary at the same time. He seemed to have a knack for turning me inside out, making me completely vulnerable when I never had been before.

"I'm not angry with you," I said, still not looking at him, but I could feel him staring holes into me.

"Not even if I told you that I came here to see Caroline?"

Again, my eyes darted to his briefly before settling on my hands once again. I shook my head slightly, my lips pursed.

"Maybe that's because you already knew that," he whispered, his face much closer to mine than before.

I shivered at the nearness of his touch, teasing and barely there. My eyes slowly drifted up his face, taking in his perfect red lips, the slight stubble gracing his angular jaw, the fierceness behind his razor green eyes.

"You saw that invitation in the mail, didn't you?" he asked. I merely nodded back at him, still too transfixed on his perfection. "Why didn't you say anything?"

My eyes flickered between his before I answered him.

"I told you, it's none of my business."

He considered my answer for a while before he sighed and turned himself to face away from me. He sat with his elbows on his knees, gazing straight in front of him while I tried not to feel too empty without his eyes on me.

"Rebekah and Elijah were furious," he went on. "They have every right to be, of course. I allowed them to handle a responsibility that was my own to keep. Not that they seem to mind taking care of you. Actually, it seems they've taken quite a liking to you," he smiled at me, turning his head toward me briefly.

I could only smile back.

"I like them too," I admitted with a slight laugh.

He grinned back.

My heart pounded in my chest.

I suddenly felt a need to ask the question we had been circling around, despite my fear of his answer.

"If you came here for Caroline, then why are you moving back to New Orleans?"

He sighed and smiled to himself, nearly humming in amusement. He clasped his hands together, intertwining his long fingers, one over the other.

"Because I came to tell her that I have decided to let Tyler go free," he admitted.

My mouth nearly dropped as I tried to process this new information. I knew this meant a major blow to his ego, a hindrance to his usual prevail over his enemies. In his eyes, Tyler had betrayed him and his habit of revenge didn't nearly play out the way he had been planning. Now he was scrapping the idea all together? It was bizarre.

"Wow," I said lamely. "But why now?"

"I told her that he may have been her first love," he said, as the sun caught his skin, making him glow bright and beautiful. "But I intended to be her last."

Blood rushed to my ears and I ignored all the tell-tale signs of my body having a minor panic attack. I tried to ignore it, push it deep down where it should have been all along. But while all of this was going on, somewhere inside me I was relieved. This wasn't just some outlandish fear anymore, it was as real as the hand in front of me. It wasn't all in my head.

I couldn't stop staring at him, took in the sincerity of his voice, the way he moved his hands, almost as though he was afraid he had made a mistake. But a look of resignation fell upon him that reminded me that this Klaus was so much older and wiser than the Klaus that I knew when I came to Mystic Falls to see Tyler.

"You really love her, don't you?"

I don't know why I asked, because I honestly didn't want to know. Maybe everyone already knew, had known all along, and maybe this pregnancy seemed out of place for that very reason.

He merely gazed at me from behind his shoulder and nodded.

Sincere, concise, honest.

He loved her. He would always love Caroline. It had been her all along. I was the variable in this equation. I was the placebo one-night stand that shouldn't have happened, probably only happened out of his own desperation for her.

I had to take my eyes away from him for a while as I gazed off, staring at some birds circling around the water fountain, fighting each other for optimal drinking spots.

"Does she know about..." I pointed to my still inexplicably flat stomach.

"Not yet," he answered shaking his head.

"Are you planning on telling her," I asked, still not knowing why I was firing off questions that I didn't want answers to.

"Not yet," he smiled.

I sighed heavily and looked at him. None of this was going to plan, none of it made sense, and although this conversation left me feeling so incredibly cold inside, I was determined to save face.

I was a survivor, after all. Emotions be damned.

_I nearly lost my baby last night_.

The idea of it was too much to bear and I realized right then that keeping my feelings for Klaus in check would become a vital part of having a healthy pregnancy. I couldn't allow myself to get as involved with him as I had been lately. No more weaknesses, I decided ruefully.

"This is a big mess," I laughed, looking past him. "Neither of us planned for this to happen and of course we had our own lives before this pregnancy. It doesn't mean we should give up on them completely."

"No, it doesn't," he agreed.

"Look, Klaus," I said, glancing down for a second before deciding to face him. "If you don't want to be a part of this, I understand. I won't be angry, I won't even judge you-"

"Whoa, sweetheart," he said, cutting me off. "I have every intention of being a part of my child's life. We can still do this together, you know. We can be...friends."

I looked at him quizzically and chuckled, considering how serious he was. He smiled back but seemed genuine, which only served to turn my smile into a straight line.

"You're serious?"

"Why not?" he mused. "We're already splendid roommates as it is and I like to think that we have a basic respect for each other."

"We do," I nodded back, considering it for a while.

In all honesty, this was the only way it was ever going to work between us and no matter how much I wanted something more, there was a difference between being realistic and wishful thinking.

"Okay, deal," I relented. "Partner parents."

I put out my hand which he shook with a dashing smile.

"Partner parents."

_Stop thinking about how your hand tingles and the way your heart's fluttering right now._

_He's in love with Caroline._

* * *

The five-hour drive back to New Orleans was uneventful, to say the least. We split up and took two cars, Klaus' and Rebekah's, while the latter insisted that I ride with her brother so that we could "catch up." While that plan would have worked better if I had slept at all the night before, the fact is I didn't. So what did end up happening is me taking a five-hour nap in the passenger seat while he drove us down the interstate back home.

I apologized profusely when we finally parked in front of the white mansion, but he merely waved me off, insisting that I needed the extra beauty sleep now to make the baby better looking. I grinned at him and made my way to the kitchen to make us all something to eat.

I decided dinner would be a good time to fill everyone in on the status of my pregnancy.

Once we were all seated and I served hefty portions of fettuccine alfredo on everyone's plate, I pulled the sonogram picture out of my back pocket and laid it on the dinner table.

Rebekah gasped and reached for it immediately.

"Is this what I think it is," she asked in awe.

"Yep," I quipped, sitting on my legs. "That's the baby."

Klaus eyes met my own and he softly dropped his fork on his plate, just gazing at me, a small smile playing around his face. I could only stare back and hope that the blush on my face wasn't too prevalent. He quickly snatched the picture from his sister, making her yelp.

"Hey!"

"Oh pipe down," he muttered, his eyes now transfixed on the image in front of him. He had a quizzical look on his face as he turned the picture sideways, upside down, and all over to try and configure the image.

I giggled slightly and watched as Elijah moved over to gaze at the picture as well.

"He or she is still in the developing stages so keep that in mind while you're judging my baby," I said teasingly.

Klaus raised his eyes to mine and winked at him, grinning madly. I couldn't tell if it was because he was just as happy to have seen the picture, if he had the same realizations I had when I saw it, or if it was because he was relieved that he and I had decided to be friends and I didn't yell at him within seconds of seeing him again like his siblings had.

"He or she is beautiful, Hayley," Rebekah said reaching across the table and holding my hands. "I'm going to be an aunt!"

She squealed, making me giggle harder as Elijah and Klaus chuckled at our antics. I sobered up slightly and tried to bring the conversation back to basics again.

"There's something else you all should know," I started hesitantly, unsure of how to break the news.

"Is the baby all right?" Klaus asked immediately, his face changing from that of laughter to stern fear in just a nanosecond.

"No," I said waving him off. "I mean, yes, the baby's fine. Dr. Fellows said that the bleeding was from a minor stress attack, but if I can manage to keep myself chilled out, it shouldn't happen again."

I tried to make it seem as non-threatening as possible, especially being careful not to place blame on Klaus. I could tell he was already unsure of his place in life right now and I didn't want to deter him from being next to me through all of this. Despite his decision to leave for Caroline, I wasn't so full of myself to realize that I didn't need him here because I absolutely did. I needed him.

I didn't miss the look of shame that crossed his features as I spoke, or the way his head fell and the clenching in his jaw started up again. Elijah still seemed to be irritated by him as he gazed at his brother from his peripheral, a look of unresolved feelings crossing his face. Rebekah, on the other hand, felt no need to hide her disdain from her brother. I knew she wanted to keep yelling at him, shoving all the horrible things that happened since he left down his throat, but something in my face kept her from unleashing her anger on him and I was grateful for it.

"Well, thank God for that," Elijah finally said. "And everything seems to be developing normally then?"

I smiled back reassuringly.

"Absolutely, everything looks great and healthy," I said. "The only thing is, I seem to be farther along than we initially thought."

Everyone's eyes were on me questioningly at that point.

"I know what you must be thinking, but I swear I haven't been with anyone else," I rushed out. "I would tell you if I had, but there's been nobody-"

"Hayley," Klaus interrupted me as he leaned forward on the table, meeting my eyes, his face a mask of calm. "It's all right. I believe you, love."

I sighed softly in relief.

"How much farther along?" Rebekah asked, taking a long sip of her wine.

"About four and a half months," I answered hesitantly.

Eyes widened and then silence.

"But...how..." Klaus started and stopped. It was exactly like I had reacted when Dr. Fellows told me.

"I know it makes no sense, but the developing stages of the baby are in line with the four and a half month mark," I explained. "I don't know how this whole supernatural pregnancy works, but it seems to be a speedier process or something. At this rate, I'll be delivering the baby in two and a half more months."

Again, shock and silence.

"And you're absolutely sure of this," Elijah questioned, still not touching his wine.

"Actually, no," I admitted. "I'm not really sure about any of this. But I still think it would be good to prepare for the delivery ahead of time, just in case. What do you think?"

I asked Klaus, who had been gazing at me thoughtfully for the past few minutes. He set down the wine glass he had been slowly circling in his hands and gave me a look of resignation.

"I think we need to find out as much as we possibly can about a hybrid child," he said. "The more we know, the more we can prepare. And if the doctor predicts two and a half months, than we'll prepare for that as well. I will not leave you again, I promise."

His eyes pierced through me and I believed him in that moment. I believed him because I wanted to, because I needed to.

He promised not to leave again and this time I would give him no reason to.

I'll be his friend, his partner, his savior if he needs it, but I will not be his burden.

Because no matter how much I wished things were different, they rarely ever were.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: I know, I know. I hate waiting for authors to update, too. Just a refresher for this chapter - Esther is Klaus' mom and Ayanna is the witch that mentored her. Happy reading.

* * *

"Okay, it should be coming up here on your right," I said distractedly, trying to make sure the road we were currently driving on was indeed the same one I had been following on the map in front of me.

"You're sure about that?"

I slowly turned my head toward Klaus in the driver's seat, narrowing my eyes for emphasis. He returned his devilish grin and raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Yes," I bit out. "I'm sure."

"I hate to question your judgment love, but considering the three times we've had to turn around, you'll have to forgive me if I'm not one hundred percent on board with your directions."

I didn't miss the smirk on his face as he turned back to the road and took a languid right turn on the street I pointed out.

"Okay, offense, first of all," I said pointing my finger out in front of me. "Second of all, if you hadn't been distracting me the entire ride over here, then maybe we wouldn't have missed every turn."

He simply smiled, but wisely didn't make another retort.

It was true. Ever since we hit the road earlier that day, he had taken every opportunity to press me for details about my life. It caught me off guard at first as I tried to dodge his questions, fumbling my way through half-answers while I simultaneously tried to configure the confusing directions of this remote hideaway.

The news of the baby being born so soon had all of us scrambling to find out more answers about a hybrid pregnancy. The problem with our search was that none of us knew who to reference for more information, especially considering that Klaus was the first of his kind. There were never any situations like this prior to the one we were finding ourselves in now.

In some ways, I could pretend it was exciting to be the first to discover an answer to a new riddle, an unsolved equation. But in other ways, the fear of the unknown was slowly beginning to take its toll on all of us. We often kept our conversations loud and boisterous to distract us from the deafening tension of the silences inside the vast mansion. Sophie and Kai came over constantly to help us pour over ancient scrolls and texts from the Mikaelsons' past, anything to help us decipher the future ahead. But no matter how many times we tried to find the answer we were looking for, it seemed to elude us in the same way a dream stops making sense the longer you're awake.

I was especially concerned for Klaus. I wasn't exactly sure what happened between him and Caroline back in Mystic Falls, but ever since his return he seemed more focused, almost as if he was trying to set right what he felt he had done wrong. I tried not to think about what went on inside that beautiful head of his, whether he was genuinely concerned about being involved with the pregnancy or if he was just unhinged because of his love for Caroline. It seemed like whenever he looked troubled, I was always jumping to conclusions that involved her. I knew it was unfair, but his confession of loving that girl had put certain things in perspective, even if he was still was the biggest mystery in the world to me.

Even still, after our return to New Orleans, things between Klaus and I were better than they ever had been. There was an easiness there, a carefree attitude that I had been secretly yearning for. I was always so awkward around him, so threatened and so unlike myself. But lately, we were not only getting along, but we were actually becoming friends. I would've never believed anyone if they told me that I would one day consider Klaus Mikaelson a friend, but it seemed like that day had come.

In fact, the word friend seemed arbitrary to what was actually going on.

_The clock chimed midnight and still nobody looked up from their respective texts. Rebekah was laying down on the rug beside the fire, gazing up at a scroll from the 16th century. Kai read from an old grimoire passed down for generations in her family as she curled up in a corner on the leather couch. I took refuge on the other side of her, resting my aching back against the cushioned armrest, my gaze fixated on Klaus as he paced back and forth in front of the window. _

_I was supposed to be going through old letters written between Esther and Ayanna, but I was struck by him. His brows were furrowed in concentration as he flipped through Esther's diary, sometimes bringing his long fingers up to rake through his curls in frustration. I couldn't help but wonder what kinds of things he was finding out as he read his mother's words, if her memories made him miss her in any way or if he regretted never living up to her and his father's expectations._

_None of this could possibly be easy for him. It was like opening Pandora's box and even Rebekah had shied away from rehashing her family's past, making sure to steer clear of any heirlooms or letters that might remind her of all the betrayals and disappointments they endured. Klaus and Elijah took over that area of research, Elijah seeming somewhat intrigued by uncovering answers while Klaus quietly loomed over the past, his jaw clenched and a look of resignation falling over him._

"_Okay, I'm tapping out," Rebekah finally said, breaking the silence and my staring._

_She sat up and stretched her back before giving us an apologetic look and standing up. Kai sighed heavily and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands._

"_I think it's time for me to get some shut eye too," she said peeking at me beneath blood shot eyes._

_My heart broke as I saw how tired she was and I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tightly in a silent thank you. She squeezed my arms before letting go and putting her family grimoire back in her oversized purse. She followed Rebekah out of the room, waving goodbye to Klaus and I._

"_Thank you for all your help," he said genuinely. _

_She waved him off with a grin before looking at me._

"_Remember, no coming into the restaurant, capiche? Sophie will blow a gasket if she sees you there again."_

_I put my arms out and sighed heavily. _

"_I'm pregnant, not disabled," I protested. "I can still work, you know."_

_I felt Klaus come up behind me, resting one hand on my exposed shoulder and the other on the back of the couch. My skin buzzed from his touch, feeling warmer than sunlight and when my eyes met Kai's, she tilted her chin up in a way that told me something had just clicked in her head. Before she could read more into my flustered state, I quickly shifted my gaze away. _

"_I think we have enough on our hands right now, don't you?" he asked me patiently, his voice humming all around me, sending sparks down my spine._

_I didn't bother looking up at him, knowing that his voice was reassurance enough and anything more would be overkill. I just turned my head toward his hand, trying hard not to lean in though my body seemed to anyway, and I nodded. His fingers pushed into my skin softly, making me close my eyes momentarily in distraction, before he slid them across my shoulder blade and away, walking toward Kai and Rebekah._

"_It's dark out there," he said, smiling at Kai mischievously. "You never know what kinds of monsters lurk about in the dark. Might be best if I walk you to your car, love."_

"_Or maybe I should bring the biggest, baddest monster with me to scare away all the other ones," she replied, not missing a beat._

_I grinned at their banter, loving the chuckle that escaped his smiling lips as he held his arm out in front of him for her to walk ahead. Before she turned around, she winked at me and I'm sure my cheesy smile was enough of a response. _

_I slid down the couch on my back and put an arm over my forehead, trying to contain the sheer happiness of that moment. I was so basked in my own oblivion that I nearly missed Rebekah sauntering over to me and leaning down on her elbows on the back of the couch. She peered at me with tight lips and I just stared back, already not liking where this was going._

"_So how long?"_

_Of all the questions to ask, I wasn't prepared to answer that one. _

"_What-"_

"_How long have you been in love with Nik?"_

_My smile fell immediately and suddenly I was paralyzed. The thought had never even crossed my mind but hearing her say it now terrified me. _

_Because it was true. _

_It was so true that realizing it might have killed me. There was no other explanation for my behavior around him. He had been cold and unyielding and threatening and abandoning and so many other things that I would have never put up with otherwise. _

_Unless I was in love with him. _

_But realizing it didn't answer her question. She wanted to know something specific, a moment that may have sparked this entire free fall, but I couldn't recall a single moment. Up until this point, I had very successfully fooled myself into believing that this was all because of the pregnancy. The big majestic mansion in the country with a substitute family for the one I never had, an unplanned pregnancy with a beautiful man, no a hybrid, the most powerful creature I've ever known. _

_I had fooled myself into thinking this was circumstance and maybe initially it had been, but everything after had been of my own volition. I wanted to build this life with him and I wasn't sure when that need even really began._

_I honestly had no idea when I fell in love with Klaus but even if I had, I probably wouldn't have allowed myself to remember it. Because people like me never fall in love. _

_They just fall. _

I blinked away the water that seemed to have collected in my eyes, pushing down the free fall of emotions that this recent realization would inevitably send me on. I hadn't answered Rebekah's question that night, not being able to even process the litany of spiderwebs I had trapped myself in. All I knew was I had stupidly fallen in love with a man that I knew was in love with another girl. A girl that was nothing like me.

A blonde, ambitious, high school cheerleader.

Not only that, but I had succeeded in tying him to me for the rest of eternity by getting pregnant with his child after a drunken one-night stand. The shame of it all was thick, dripping over me like warm honey and it was then that I realized I had to unbind us somehow. It was because I loved him that I had to give him his space. I had to give him the option he never had and if his heart willed him to love Caroline, then I wouldn't stand in the way. I would welcome his happiness as though it were my own.

And that's how we got to where we were right now, driving up to a seemingly abandoned old shack with a haunting tree out front where dozens of crows gathered, cawing like savages. There were no leaves, no grass, nothing except those wretched black crows. A shiver ran down my spine as we parked.

"You okay?"

I slowly unbuckled my seat belt, still staring at the ghostly shack and nodded.

"Hey," he said, taking my hand in his.

Instantly, my attention was on him, my eyes taking refuge in the deep green sea of his own, my body relaxing underneath the reassuring warmth of his large hands. I breathed him in deep and the fear released me from its death grip.

"First of all, good call on the directions," he winked with that smug grin of his.

I rolled my eyes playfully.

"And second of all, you should never be frightened when you're with me," he said more seriously, his eyes precise and determined, boring holes into my own.

I merely nodded back as he squeezed my hand and got out of the car. I stayed where I was, basking in the afterglow of his protection. I knew it was twisted to allow myself to indulge in him like this, but it didn't stop me from feeling like precious gold whenever he acted chivalrous. He opened my door and helped me out of the low-seated passenger side of his fancy Lamborghini. I kept a hand steady on my now slightly protruding abdomen and waited until he closed the door to give him a look. He placed his hand on my lower back and gave me an apologetic smile.

"_What are you doing?"_

_I didn't look up from counting my tips for the day, laying out the bills on the kitchen island in front of me. So far, I had gotten up to $150, which wasn't too shabby for a Thursday. It turns out that being pregnant did indeed have its perks, such as my ever-growing cleavage and backside. As it also turns out, most of our customers at the restaurant during lunch hour were businessmen who got their jollies off at seeing pretty young waitresses flirt with them for tips. _

_To each his own, I always say._

_My new body was initially a pretty big shock to me, since I had been waiting so long for some physical effects of the pregnancy. I was used to the mood swings and emotional waterfalls, but for the longest time, no one would have been able to tell I was pregnant just from looking at me._

_Then one day, I woke up and things were...different. I had always been blessed and cursed with sizable breasts, but what was once considered ample was now demanding attention and manipulating my otherwise modest clothes. My hips were also wider and my ass seemed to have followed suit, giving me a more pronounced hourglass figure. I could finally feel a slight baby bump along my lower stomach, the soft skin there was now firmer and almost felt like a shield. Luckily, my clothes still fit, although it was nearing time to go shopping for some maternity outfits, considering how slutty I looked in my tank tops and V-neck shirts now._

"_Just counting tips," I said, folding up the cash and sticking it into an envelope to deposit into the bank later._

_He froze midway from sipping his iced scotch (in light of summer, of course) and scorned at me, his eyes flashing dangerously. If he wasn't so damn sexy, I would have been quicker to distract him from saying his next words._

"_You shouldn't be working anymore," he started, placing his hands on the island. "It's not safe for someone in your condition to be on their feet all day."_

_I scoffed playfully._

"_Someone in my condition? You mean pregnant?"_

"_Yes. Pregnant."_

"_It won't be for much longer," I said sighing heavily and resting my hand on my stomach. "I just need to save up a bit more for a good car."_

"_Hayley, we've been over this-"_

"_Please, don't."_

"_I have a car, damn it," he said, raising his voice several octaves in frustration. "And I've already told you, you do not need to buy one for yourself. I can provide that for you."_

_I looked at him longingly, trying to tell him with my eyes how much I didn't deserve his money or power or protection. Whenever he offered me things, it was always the same. I refused them because no matter the price of his company, I still only wanted him. I only ever wanted him._

"_Klaus, you have a Lamborghini."_

"_And?"_

"_And you can't fit a car seat into a Lamborghini. It's not exactly ideal for babies."_

"_So, we'll get another car. Problem solved," he said, seemingly pleased with himself._

_I just smiled at his immaturity. How this man was going to become a father, I had no clue but I wouldn't miss a second of it for the world._

"_We don't need another car, Klaus," I said, laughing slightly. "But tell you what, I'll make you a deal."_

_He leaned forward on his elbows, peering at me devilishly. _

"_Oh sweetheart," he said lowly. "Didn't anyone tell you how much I love making deals with beautiful women?"_

_My heart sped up as I considered his words. I knew it was platonic flirtation, harmless and light as air. I knew there was no meaning behind it and that he only meant to flatter me. I knew all of this and still my heart raced against time, falling deeper into his fierce green eyes, wanting desperately to believe that I was the only beautiful woman he had ever seen._

_But, it wasn't real and I snapped myself out of it._

"_Since buying a new car would be outlandish and completely unnecessary," I pressed on, ignoring his snort of a rebuttal. "How about we trade in the Lamborghini for an SUV?"_

_His eyes went wide for a nanosecond before he caught himself and tried to play it off. He nodded incessantly, but kept his hand over his mouth, clearly unable to find the words to agree with me. I watched with my eyebrows raised as he mulled it over._

"_Okay," he finally said, dragging out the word softly. "We can do that."_

"_Are you sure? I know how much you love that car."_

"_No, it's fine. I'll trade it in at the end of this week. Just give me a few days to say goodbye."_

"_Klaus-"_

"_Hayley, it's a small price to pay. Really."_

As we walked toward the front door of the shack, he kept his hand low on my back and the feeling almost made me see stars. He stayed close to my side and murmured in my ear, "I still have one more day, you know."

I looked up at him and smiled easily. He was so handsome standing there in his dark fitted jeans and white V-neck, the angles of his collarbones jutting out against the fabric. I wanted so badly to rest my head there.

"I know."

"Are you ready to do this," he asked, still barely murmuring in my ear.

I nodded against him, trying so hard to focus even though the feeling of his hot breath against my skin was sending me spiraling down the spiderwebs again.

"Just follow my lead, love."

With that he tapped on the door with the rusted door knocker. Nearly a minute passed by and just when Klaus raised his hand to tap again, the door creaked open revealing an older African American woman. She was dressed in frayed clothing, her graying hair in disarray, a pair of broken-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. Her eyes had a vacant look to them, but she seemed unsurprised to see visitors.

"Klaus Mikaelson," she stated in somewhat of a bored voice.

"You were expecting me?" He asked, slightly confused.

"Honey, I expect the unexpected," she waved him off, opening the door wider to let us inside. "You can come in."

Klaus and I looked at each other momentarily before he wrapped his arm around me again and lead me through the doorway.

The shack was as dismal on the inside as it was on the outside. There seemed to be a thick layer of smoke and dust trapped within the small area, the carpet was torn off near the edges, tiles were missing from the kitchen floor, and there was a single beat-up looking couch inside what appeared to be the living room. Aside from the couch, there was another sole plastic chair across from it and a busted TV on top of some phone books that seemed to be as old as the woman living here, the antennas jutting out in wild directions.

She sat down on the plastic chair and motioned for us to sit on the couch. I gripped Klaus' arm and felt him rub my back reassuringly as we took our seats. She peered at both of us from above her glasses for a few moments before sitting back in her seat and folding her arms on her lap.

"I know all about you," she said, pointing at Klaus, before her eyes set on me. "But you, I don't know much. I presume you're a werewolf?"

My mouth fell open and I stammered out, "Y-Yes. How did you know?"

"How else could you be pregnant with his child?" she nearly laughed out, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Everybody knows vampires can't procreate. Well, except maybe you," she said looking at Klaus again.

He pursed his lips, trying to hide an arrogant smile. I nudged him slightly, but he just gripped me tighter.

"This may sound stupid to you, but how did you know I was pregnant, too?" I asked, slightly frustrated since I was wearing a flowing maxi dress that barely showed my figure.

"Well, that one's easy," she waved off with a grin. "You've been clutching your stomach this entire time."

I looked down at my hand that was currently splayed out on my abdomen and blushed as Klaus continued to rub my back.

"And you are a descendant of Ayanna's, if I'm not mistaken," Klaus said, changing the subject. "It took me days to find where your bloodline ended up. I have to say, I didn't expect you to be the last one left in Louisiana, especially in these conditions."

I nudged him again, a bit harder this time and tried to tell him with my eyes that he was being incredibly rude to our creepy witch host. He just looked at me innocently as though he had no idea what he had said wrong. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from rolling my eyes at him.

"It's not Buckingham Palace, that's for sure," she said gazing between the both of us again, an interested look now on her face. "But it's home and it's far enough away from that Marcel jackass that I can do whatever the hell I want. I'll take that freedom over luxury any day."

"Cheers to that," Klaus grinned at her.

"I'm sorry, Miss-"

"Amelia," she finished kindly, a warm smile setting on her face, spreading out her wrinkles and making her look like an entirely different person.

I guess Southern hospitality really does go a long way around here.

"Miss Amelia," I said, twisting my fingers nervously. "Klaus and I wanted to thank you for allowing us into your home so unexpectedly. We really do appreciate your time."

I felt Klaus take my hands in his own and spread out my fingers, smoothing out the tension. I immediately eased back against him, my body reacting like Pavlov's dogs to his touch. Amelia's eyes were glued to the gesture.

"I can't say I'm unhappy to see some visitors," she answered back. "Most folks don't ever come out this way. But, I guess it's also kind of the beauty of it."

"Well, as my lovely fiance put it," Klaus continued, squeezing my hand hard when I almost revoked his statement in shock. "We don't want to take up anymore of your time than necessary, so I'll go ahead and get to the point."

I was so unraveled by his cover that I nearly zoned out of the conversation for a moment. I realized this is what he may have been referencing when he told me to follow his lead.

_Fiance?_

"Let me guess," she said sighing heavily. "You want to know more about a hybrid baby?"

"Yes," we both said in unison.

She chuckled warmly and hauled herself up to stand, walking out of the room at a sluggish speed. "Hang tight," she mumbled from another room.

I took her absence as a moment to probe Klaus and promptly flicked his shoulder with my pointer finger and thumb.

"Ow," he said mockingly.

"Fiance?"

He came closer to me, leaning the side of his face against my own so that only we could hear each other. I shuddered at the contact.

"Ayanna's family is infamous for being old fashioned," he said into my ear in a gravely voice. "Our chances for getting answers out of her rely on this pregnancy being consummated out of genuine love rather than a one-night stand, courtesy of scotch. Just go with it, sweetheart."

I nearly jerked myself back to glare at him but he his eyes quickly flickered to our right where I could hear Amelia shuffling back toward us. Just as she was walking in, he pulled me back to him and pressed his warm lips against the space right below my ear on my jaw bone. I shut my eyes reflexively, trying to stop my thudding heart. I knew this was all an act, but he was making this way too difficult and I wasn't sure how much more of this pretending I could put up with.

As he pulled away, our eyes met and a million emotions and thoughts passed between the both of us. There were so many things to say and yet none of them seemed to be able to define what we were. I felt like a ship, wrecked out at sea, trying desperately to find safer shores near the island that was his world. Despite my efforts, it still felt like we were miles apart, maybe even worlds apart. Staring into his eyes now, I knew he would never see me the same way. I feared he would always see me as that shipwreck and not the anchored island I so longed to be.

The sound of Amelia sitting down in the creaky old plastic chair, broke the moment and I turned myself to face her, not daring to look back at Klaus again. He continued the charade by holding onto my waist, his hands intertwining with mine, making us look like the loving couple that we weren't.

"This is the grimoire Ayanna used to add spells to when she was mentoring your mother," Amelia said as she flipped through a few pages in the middle, trying to find something in particular. "I remember reading about loopholes in nature once somewhere in here..."

We waited in silence, not wanting to disrupt her concentration. She finally found the page with an enthusiastic "Aha!" and laid out the book in front of us on a dirty glass coffee table. There were some intricate looking incantations and symbols marked throughout the ancient text, but I wasn't sure what we were supposed to be looking at exactly.

"I've seen that mark before," Klaus said, pointing at a moon drawn on the page.

It took a moment before I realized it was the same symbol that he pointed out after our night together, the birthmark that was supposed to give me some sort of an identity. Instead, it lead me to a trap in New Orleans.

"It's the mark of the moonstone," Amelia explained. "It was a symbol used to represent the original breed of werewolves, the first of their kind. I'm sure you can relate," she smirked at Klaus.

He just stared at her dumbfounded, but I was still lost as to what was going on.

"Wait," I interrupted. "The original werewolves? You mean the family that all other werewolves descended from?"

"Well, it's just like vampires, you know. The entire process has become so inbred over the centuries that eventually, the true bloods tend to stick out like sore thumbs. Any werewolf born with that mark is a pure blood original wolf, in a class all on their own, an alpha-pack to lead all others," Amelia said with vigor.

"And because werewolves are considered to be a loophole of nature and not an abomination, like vampires," she glanced at Klaus, who just sat there open-mouthed still. "The original family has far more power in nature than any other breed of wolves do. I'm guessing from your reaction that your lovely girlfriend here has that mark on her body somewhere?"

Klaus didn't say anything and neither did I for a moment before I cleared my throat and answered.

"On my shoulder."

"Ah," she said knowingly. "There's your answer then. You wanted to know more about a hybrid baby? You just found your next clue. Time to rustle some branches on the family tree, sugar."


End file.
